A 

A  — ^ 

§-i 

0  ^-1 

1  — s 

8 i 

2  s 

6 : 

1 ^ 

^^^^^^K' 

2 

^H 

Regional 


'is; 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


4, 


hJi^- 


w 


4'  t 


LECTURES 


ON 


THE  APOCALYPSE. 


BY 


RO.    RYLAND, 

PRESIDENT    OF    BICHMOND    COLLEGE. 


"  Glorions  things  are  spoken  of  thee,  0  city  of  God." — Pa.  87  :  3. 


RICHMOND: 
WORTHAil  &  CX)TTU1:LL,  203  MAIN  STREET. 

1857.  .    ,.    . 


•  •    •         ' 

•  «  •    «         ' 


«        •  4    J 


Entered  according  to  act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1857,  by 

BOBERT  RYLAND, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court,  for  the  Eastern  District  of  Virginia. 


H.  K.  Elltson,  Printer,  147  Main  Street. 


155 


i 


PREFACE. 


The  author  of  the  following  Lectures  lays  no 
claim  to  originality  in  the  views  which  they  ex- 
j     press.     He  has  read  several  learned  works  on  the 
Apocalypse,  and  has  not  hesitated  to  adopt  their 
;     sentiments  and  language^  without  formal  notice, 
r    whenever  they  have  approved   themselves  to  his.'^ 
judgment.     Especially  is  he  indebted  to  the  very 
able  exposition  of  Mr.  David  N.  Lord,  whose  in- 
terpretation he  has  generally  adopted  throughout 


t 

N 

:» 

Q 

*  the   following   pages.      Indeed,  he  advises   those 
who  have  the  means  to  purchase  and  the  leisure 
o  to  read  that  work,  not  to  examine  this  at  all,  but 
^  to  proceed  at  once  with  the  more  original  and  ex- 
tended investigation.     It  is  apparent,  then,  that 


UJ 


-^ 

t 


his  design  is  to  present  to.  the  general  reader^  in 
a  cheap  and  condensed  form,  the  substance  of  what 
is  contamcd  in  trcatiscjs  less  accessible  to  him. 
The  spirit  of  the  ago  calls  for  cheap  literature.  A 
book  that  sells  at  seventy-five  cents,  is  bouglit  and 


IV  PREFACE. 

read  by  ten  times  more  persons  than  an  octavo  of 
superior  merit,  which  costs  two  dollars.  With  him 
it  is  a  very  small  thing  who  shall  gain  the  reputa- 
tion of  authorship,  provided  the  Word  of  God  be 
explained,  and  His  truth  be  widely  diffused.  If 
these  ends  be  attained  by  the  following  pages,  the 
whole  purpose  of  their  publication  will  have  been 
accomplished. 


INTRODUCTION. 


The  distinguishing  characteristic  of  the  Apocalypse  is,  that  it 
foreshadows  what  it  reveals,  not  by  words,  like  ordinary  prophe- 
cies, but  by  representative  agents  and  phenomena  exhibited  to 
the  senses  of  the  Apostle.  These  representatives  are  called 
symbols.  The  first  thing  to  be  studied,  then,  in  order  to  a  cor- 
rect understanding  of  this  book,  is  the  law  of  symbolic  represen- 
tation. We  cannot  suppose  that  the  Spirit  of  God  employs,  in 
an  arbitrary  and  irregular  manner,  either  words  or  things  to  re- 
veal truth  to  man.  There  must  be  some  fixed  and  uniform 
principle  of  interpretation,  which  should  guide  the  student  in 
all  his  inquiries.  What,  then,  is  this  principle,  as  applied  to 
the  explanation  of  symbols  ?  We  answer,  analogy.  And  what 
is  analogy  ?  It  is  not  a  direct  resemblance  between  the  repre- 
sentation and  that  which  it  is  used  to  represent — but  it  is  a 
resemfjlance  of  their  relations  to  other  things.  Tims,  a  seed  is 
not  like  an  egg  in  shape  or  substance,  but  it  is  analogous  to  it, 
because  it  bears  a  relation  to  the  producing  plant,  or  to  the 
future  germ,  similar  to  the  relation  which  the  egg  sustains  to 
the  parent  bird,  or  to  the  future  nestling.  Analoyy,  then,  is  the 
resemlAance  of  relations .  This  principle,  we  conceive,  lies  at  the 
foundation  of  all  correct  exposition  of  the  Apocalypse.    When- 


VI  INTRODUCTION. 

ever  any  object  in  nature,  animate  or  iuauimato,  or  any  fictitious 
creature,  is  employed  to  symbolize  any  thing  future,  it  bears  an 
analogy  to  that  which  is  symbolized.  This  principle  is  suscep- 
tible of  many  modifications.    I  will  mention  a  few. 

1.  The  symbol  is  usually  selected  from  species  or  orders 
diffferent  from  those  to  which  the  thing  symbolized  belongs. 
Thus,  a  ferocious  wild  beast  denotes  a  dynasty  of  slaughtering 
kings — to  whom  it  sustains  an  analogy — and  not  some  other 
wild  beast,  to  which  it  might  have  only  a  direct  resemblance. 
A  sea  represents  a  vast  multitude  of  persons  united  under  one 
government,  while  fountains  and  streams  flowing  into  that  sea, 
S3''mbolize  tributary  communities. 

2.  When  the  object  to  be  described  has  nothing  to  correspond 
with  it,  either  in  the  ideal  or  actual  world,  it  is  always  introduced 
in  its  own  name  and  character.  Thus  the  Martyr-Souls,  the 
Deity,  the  Incarnate  Word,  and  Satan,  are  mentioned  in  tlicir 
appropriate  persons.  Where  no  befitting  symbol  can  be  found, 
none  is  used,  but  descriptions  are  given  to  indicate  the  nature 
of  the  beings  mentioned.  The  agencies  exerted  by  those  beings, 
as  seen  in  vision,  and  the  uses  ascribed  to  their  several  insignia, 
are,  however,  to  be  considered  symbolical, 

3.  When  intelligent  and  living  creatures  are  employed  as 
symbols,  they  represent  intelligent  agents — never  the  mere 
qualities  of  such  agents.  In  like  manner,  causes  represent 
causes,  effects  denote  effects,  and  actions  correspond  with  ac- 
tions. The  several  elements  of  the  symbol  thus  stand  for  the 
corresponding  parts  of  that  which  is  symbolized. 

4.  The  names  of  the  symbols  are  their  literal  and  proper 
names,  not  metaphorical  titles  and  descriptions.     This  is  man- 


INTRODUCTION.  VU 

ifest  from  the  circumstance  that  the  acts  and  qualities  ascribed 
to  them  are  suited  to  their  nature — a  circumstance  that  never 
characterizes  the  metaphor. 

5.  In  some  instances,  agents  that  represent  men  denote,  not 
individuals,  but  an  order  and  succession  of  agents,  acting  in  the 
same  relations  and  exerting  a  similar  agency.  The-  offices  they 
sxistain,  and  the  agencies  and  periods  specified  of  them,  justify 
this  construction. 

Our  hmits  will  not  allow  a  more  minute  statement  of  the  va- 
rious modifications  to  which  the  great  principle  of  analogy  is 
subject,  but  these  are  regarded  as  the  most  important.  See  D. 
N.  Lord's  Theol.  and  Lit.  Journal,  Vol.  I.,  No.  2,  1848. 

^Vhat,  now,  is  the  proof  of  the  correctness  of  this  principle  ? 
We  answer,  the  interpretations  of  the  symbols  given  by  the  Son 
of  God  and  the  attending  angels.  "  The  seven  stars  are  the 
angels — messengers — of  the  seven  churches,  and  the  seven  can- 
dlesticks are  the  seven  churches."  Eev.  1  :  20.  As  the  star 
gives  light,  so  it  is  a  suitable  representative  of  a  gospel  teacher; 
and  as  the  lamp-stand  holds  up  the  light,  so  it  symbolizes  a 
church,  who  sustains  the  teacher.  In  like  manner,  the  "  seven 
lamps  of  fire  burning  before  the  throne,  are  the  seven  Spirits  of 
God,"  {chap.  4  :  5,)  because  the  oflice  of  the  lamp,  like  that  of 
the  Spirit,  is  to  illumine.  The  seven  heads  of  the  wild  beast  are 
explained  to  be  seven  kings,  and  the  ten  horns  to  be  ten  kings. 
Chap.  17 :  10-12.  lo  vs.  15,  the  waters  are  explained  to  be 
peoples,  and  multitudes,  and  nations,  and  tongues ;  and  in  vs. 
18,  the  woman  is  said  to  bo  the  great  city  which  rcigneth  over 
the  kings  of  the  earth.  In  the  prophecies  of  Daniel  we  learn 
that  the  four  great  bca-sts  which  the  prophet  saw  were  four 


VIU  INTRODUCTION. 

kings  or  dynasties  which  should  arise  out  of  the  earth — 7:  17. 
In  tho  next  vision  the  ram  with  two  horns  seen  by  the  prophet 
is  explained  to  be  the  kings  of  Media  and  Persia,  and  tho  rough 
goat  to  be  the  king  of  Grecia — 8 :  21,  22.  Other  examples 
might  be  adduced  of  the  same  kind.  In  all  these  cases  the  sym- 
bols selected  bear  a  striking  analogy  to  the  objects  for  which 
they  stand.  Our  inference,  therefore,  is,  that  the  symbols  of  the 
Bible  which  are  left  without  interpretation,  must  be  expounded 
according  to  the  same  general  law.  If  this  conclusion  be  pro- 
nounced illogical,  we  ask  the  objector,  with  all  sincerity  and  hu- 
mility, to  show  us  a  better  way.  Until  that  request  be  granted, 
we  shall  hold  to  the  principle  of  analogy,  as  the  only  safe  guide 
to  the  exposition  of  this  most  remarkable  book. 


LECTUKE   FIRST. 


REVELATIONS,  CHAPTERS  I.,  II.,  III. 

The  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ,  which  God  gave  unto  him,  to  shew 
unto  his  servants  things  which  must  shortly  come  to  pass;  and  he  sent 
and  signified  ft  bj  his  angel  unto  his  servant  John  :  who  bare  record 
of  the  word  of  God,  and  of  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  of  all 
things  that  he  saw.  Blessed  is  he  that  readeth,  and  they  that  hear 
the  words  of  this  prophecy,  and  keep  those  things  which  are  written 
therein  :  for  the  time  is  at  hand.  John  to  the  seven  churches  which 
are  in  Asia  :  Grace  be  unto  you,  and  peace,  from  him  which  is,  and 
which  was,  and  which  is  to  come  ;  and  from  the  seven  spirits  which 
are  before  his  throne  ;  and  from  Jesus  Christ,  who  i»  the  faithful  wit- 
ness, and  the  first  begotten  of  the  dead,  and  the  prince  of  the  kings  of 
the  earth.  Unto  liim  that  loved  us,  and  washed  us  from  our  sins  in 
his  own  blood,  and  hatli  made  us  kings  and  priests  unto  God  and  his 
Father;  to  him  be  glory  and  dominion  for  ever  and  ever.  Amen. 
Uuliold,  he  Cometh  willi  clouds ;  and  every  eye  shall  see  him,  and  they 
aUo  which  pierced  him  ;  and  all  kindreds  of  the  earth  shall  wail  be- 
cause of  him.  Even  bo,  Amen.  I  am  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  begin- 
ning and  the  ending,  saith  the  Lord,  which  is,  and  which  was,  and 
which  18  to  come,  the  Almighty.  I  John,  who  also  am  your  brother, 
and  companion  in  tribulation,  and  in  the  kingdom  and  patience  of  Jc- 
nus  Chriat,  was  in  the  isle  that  is  called  Patmos,  for  the  word  of  God, 
and  for  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ.  I  was  in  the  Spirit  on  the 
Lord's  day,  and  heard  behind  me  a  great  voice,  as  of  a  trumi)et,  say- 
ing, I  am  Aljiha  and  Omega,  the  first  and  the  last :  and.  What  thou 
seuRt,  write  in  a  book,  and  send  it  unto  the  seven  churches  which  are 
in  Asia ;  unto  Gphesus,  and  unto  Smyrna,  and  unto  I'urgaiiios,  and 
unto  Thyatira,  and  unto  Sardis,  and  unto  riiiladelphia,  and  unto  La- 
odicea.     And  I  turned  to  see  the  voice  that  sjiake  with  me.    And  being 


10  LECTURE    FIRST. 

turned,  I  saw  seven  golden  candlesticks ;  and  in  the  midst  of  the  seven 
candlesticks  one  like  unto  the  Son  of  man,  clothed  with  a  garment 
down  to  the  foot,  and  girt  about  the  paps  with  a  golden  girdle.  Uis 
head  jind  his  hairs  were  white  like  wool,  as  white  as  snow ;  and  his 
eyes  were  as  a  flame  of  fire;  and  his  feet  like  unto  fine  brass,  as  if  they 
burned  in  a  furnace ;  and  his  voice  as  the  sound  of  many  waters.  And 
he  had  in  his  right  hand  seven  stars :  and  out  of  his  mouth  went  a 
sharp  two-edged  sword  :  and  his  countenance  was  as  the  sun  shineth 
in  his  strength.  And  when  I  saw  him,  I  fell  at  his  feet  as  dead.  And 
he  laid  his  right  hand  upon  me,  saying  unto  me,  Fear  not ;  I  am  the 
first  and  the  last :  /  am  ho  that  liveth,  and  was  dead  ;  and,  behold,  I 
am  alive  for  evermore,  Amen ;  and  have  the  keys  of  hell  and  of  death. 
Write  the  things  which  thou  hast  seen,  and  the  things  which  are,  and 
the  things  which  shall  be  hereafter  ;  the  mystery  of  the  seven  stars 
which  thou  sawest  in  my  right  hand,  and  the  seven  golden  candle- 
sticks. The  seven  stars  are  the  angels  of  the  seven  churches  :  and 
the  seven  candlesticks  which  thou  sawest  are  the  seven  churches. — 
Bev.  i :  1-20. 

Vs.  1.  The  book  takes  its  title  from  the  first 
word  in  this  verse.  It  is  sometimes  called  the 
Apocalypse,  a  word  of  Greek  origin,  but  of  the 
same  import  with  revelation.  All  scripture  is  a 
"revelation  "  of  the  divine  will,  but  this  is  pecu- 
liarly so,  because  it  discloses  things  future,  and  of 
rare  importance.  The  title  of  the  prophecy  was 
obviously  prefixed  after  the  visions  were  written, 
while  the  visions  themselves  were  written  succes- 
sively, as  they  were  beheld.  It  is  necessary  to  dis- 
tinguish between  the  knowledge  of  Christ  as  a 
divine  person,  and  that  which  he  possesses  as  the 
Prophet  of  his  church.  In  the  one  sense  he  knows 
all  things — in  the  other,  he  receives  his  messages 
from  his  Father,  and  delivers  them  to  his  j)eople. 
In  this  latter  sense  he  knew  not  the  day  of  the 


LECTURE    FIRST.  11 

downfall  of  Jerusalem — it  was  no  part  of  the  rev- 
elation that  God  gave  him  to  make  known  to  man. 
Hence  the  first  verse  says  God  gave  this  revelation 
to  Jesus  Christy  and  he  by  his  angel  signified  it  to 
John. 

The  writer  now  introduces  himself  (vs.  2)  as  a 
witness  of  the  word  of  God — i.  e.,  what  he  was 
about  to  communicate  was  not  of  his  own  inven- 
tion, but  was  from  heaven  ; — it  was  the  testimony 
of  Jesus — the  things  of  which  John  was  an  eye- 
witness.    (3.)     To  induce  us  to  give  attention  to 
these  things  he  now  pronounces  a  blessing  on  all 
who  "  read,  hear  and  keep  "  the  words  of  this  pro- 
phecy.   Such  a  benediction  is  pronounced  in  respect 
to  no  other  portion  of  scripture.     Surely  we  should 
be  anxious  to  understand  what  ^it  is  a  blessing  to 
read_,  hear  and  keep_,  and  we  should  be  cautious 
how  we  discourage  attempts  to  explain  this  pro- 
phecy.    Here,  too,  is  another  motive.     The  time  of 
the  fulfilment  of  most  of  these  predictions  is  at 
hand.     And  if  this  was  true  nearly  eighteen  hun- 
dred years  ago,  at  present  many  of  them  have 
been  accomplished,  and  the  residue  are  hastening 
to  their  consummation.     "  The  time  is  at  hand  " 
signifies,  not  that  the  events  were  soon  to  reach  their 
accomplishment,  but  only  that   the   series  would 
speedily  commence.     That  representation  accords 
with  usage.     We  speak  of  successions  of  events — 
liowever  intcrmiiialdc — as  being  nigli,  when  their 
beginning  is  at  hand. 


12  LECTURE    FIRST. 

Vs.  4-6.  Ancient  letters  always  commence 
with  the  name  of  the  writer  and  the  names  of  the 
persons  addressed.  Having  hibored  among  the 
seven  churches  of  Asia  Minor,  he  addresses  himself 
to  them  in  the  three  first  chapters.  May  favor  and 
peace  he  unto  you  from  the  rather.  Spirit  and  Son. 
The  phrase,  ''  which  is,  and  which  was,  and  which 
is  to  come,"  alluding  to  the  Father,  implies  his 
eternity,  and  is  singularly  appropriaie  as  an  intro- 
duction to  a  prophecy  concerning  the  mutability  of 
creatures.  The  phrase  "seven  spirits"  alludes  to 
the  abundant  gifts  and  graces  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
denominated  seven  because  symbolized  by  seven 
lamps.  See  chap.  4:5.  As  the  number  seven  is 
the  symbol  of  perfection,  and  as  there  were  seven 
churches,  so  the  phrase  "  seven  spirits  "  describes 
the  rich  and  copious  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
To  the  blessing  of  the  Father  and  Spirit  he  adds 
that  of  Jesus  Christ  as  a  ''  faithful  witness  "  to  the 
truth  of  this  prophecy — as  the  first  who  had  risen 
from  the  dead,  and  as  the  possessor  of  authority 
over  all  earthly  rulers.  How  consoling  to  the  per- 
secuted saints!  He  cannot  leave  the  name  of  Jesus 
without  a  sweet  doxology.  "  Unto  him  that  loved 
us,  and  washed  us  from  our  sins  in  his  own  blood, 
and  hath  made  us  kings  and  priests  unto  God,  even 
his  Father  ;  to  him  be  glory  and  dominion  for 
ever  and  ever.     Amen." 

He  directs  his  suffering  people  to  his  second  com- 
ing for  their  consolation.     (7.)     The   Jews  that 


LECTURE    FIRST.  13 

pierced  him,  and  the  idolatrous  G-entiles,  shall  see 
hira  and  bewail,  while  his  redeemed  shall  respond 
amen  to   the   tidings  of  his  advent,   and   to  the 
judgments  of  his  throne.     (Vs.  8.)    This  language 
must  refer  to  Christ  as  speaking  of  himself.     Alpha 
is  tlie  first  letter,  and  Omega  the  last  of  the  Greek 
alphabet,  and  the  phrase  is  explained  in  the  fol- 
lowing words.     The  eternity  and  omnipotence  of 
Jesus  afford  comfort  to  his  afflicted  churches,  and 
terror   to  his    enemies !      The    asseveration    Yea, 
amen,  (vs.  7,)  and  the  proclamation  of  his  attri- 
butes, (vs.  8,)  denote  the  certainty  of  his  coming, 
and  that  it  is  to  carry  to  all  his  creatures  a  resist- 
less proof  that  he  is  the  Self-existent — the  Eter- 
nal— the  Almighty.     (Vs.  9-20.)    Banished  to  the 
Isle  of  Patmos  by  Domitian  for  preaching  the  gos- 
pel, A.  I).  95,   the  spirit  of  prophecy  came  upon 
John  on  the  Lord's  day,  the  first  day  of  the  week  ; 
that  is,  he  was  thrown  into  the  state  of  prophetic 
ecstacy,  in  which  visions  were  beheld  and  revela- 
tions received — and  lie  heard  the  sound  of  a  trum- 
pet behind  him,  saying,  '^I  am  Alpha  and  Omega, 
the  first  and  the  last ;  and  what  thou  seest,  write 
in  a  book,  and  send  it  unto  the  seven  churches 
which  are  in  Asia  ;  unto  Ephesus^  and  unto  Smyr- 
na, and  unto  Perganios,  and  unto  Thyatira,  and 
unto  Sttrdis,  and  unto  Philadelphia,  and  unto  La- 
odicea." — vs.    11.      Being    turned,    he  perceived 
that  the  voice  proceeded  from  the  Son  of  Man^  in 
the  midst  of  seven  golden  candlesticks,  and  having 
2 


14  LECTURE     FIRST. 

in  his  hand  seven  stars.  There  was  a  golden  can- 
dlestick in  the  temple,  which  had  seven  branches. 
Here,  there  were  seven  golden  candlesticks.  Tlie 
seven  stars  are  explained,  vs.  20,  as  teachers  who 
spread  the  light  of  God's  word  through  the  circles 
around  them — the  seven  candlesticks,  as  churches 
supporting  such  teachers  in  the  stations  in  which 
they  fill  their  office.  So  glorious  a  vision  over- 
powered the  beholder,  and  he  who  familiarly 
leaned  on  Christ's  bosom  at  supper  now  fell  as 
dead  at  his  feet.  He  is  roused  up  and  hears  these 
consoling  words:  "lam  the  first  and  the  last : 
I  am  he  that  liveth,  and  was  dead  ;  and,  behold, 
I  am  alive  for  evermore,  Amen  ;  and  have  the  keys 
of  hell  and  of  death."  All  the  other  apostles  had 
fallen — he  was  left  alone,  and  was  now  banished. 
Death  and  hell  threatened  to  devour  him,  but 
Jesus  says,  I  have  the  keys  of  hell  and  of  death. 
The  design  of  this  vision  was  to  apprise  the  pro- 
phet from  whom  the  commands  and  messages 
about  to  be  uttered  proceeded,  and  to  raise  him  to 
becoming  thoughts  of  him  and  his  government. 
How  well  this  august  spectacle  was  suited  to  pro- 
duce this  result^  must  be  apparent  to  every  mind. 
He  is  commanded  to  write  the  things  seen,  the 
things  that  then  existed,  and  the  things  that  were 
future.  These  are  the  three  divisions  of  the  book^ 
embracing  a  general  view  of  the  gospel  dispensa- 
tion, from  the  ascension  of  Christ  to  the  end  of  the 
world. 


LECTURE     FIRST.  15 

Before  proceeding  to  tlie  seven  cliurcLcs,  it 
should  be  observed — 

1.  That  the  descriptions  of  them  refer  to  the 
state  in  which  they  then  were,  and  are  designed  to 
furnish  encouragements,  warnings  and  reproofs  to 
all  future  churches  in  similar  circumstances. 

2.  These  epistles  are  addressed  to  the  pastors  of 
the  churches  in  their  official  character.  They  are 
called  angels,  i.e.,  messengers,  in  these  several  ad- 
dresses, because  they  were  probably  sent  by  the 
churches  to  visit  the  apostle  during  his  exile,  to  ex- 
press to  him  their  affection,  and  to  receive  from  him 
encouragement  and  counsel  in  their  difficulties. 

3.  In  every  address  Christ  assumes  a  distinct 
character,  selected  from  some  one  part  of  the  de- 
scription given  of  him  in  the  preceding  vision — a 
character  probably  suited  to  the  condition  of  the 
church  addressed. 

4.  Every  address  begins  with  a  commendation, 
provided  there  be  any  thing  to  commend.  If  we 
wish  to  reclaim  our  brethren  who  have  fallen  into 
sin,  we  must  appreciate  wliat  is  good  in  them 
and  commend  it,  before  we  reprove  their  faults. 
Paul  introduces  his  censure  of  the  Corinthians  for 
desecrating  the  Lord's  supper,  by  saying,  "Now, 
I  praise  yon,  brethren,  tliat  ye  remember  me  in  all 
things,  and  keep  tlie  ordinances  as  I  delivered 
tliem  unto  you." 

5.  Most  of  tliese  churclics  deserved  rebuke  for 
some   portion  of  their  conduct  or  faith.      If  the 


16  LECTURE  rmsT. 

earliest  and  purest  churches  seemed  thus  to  Him 
whose  eyes  are  as  a  flame  of  fire,  how  would  those 
of  the  present  day  appear  ?  But  the  same  eyes  are 
upon  ris  ! 

6.  Every  address  closes  with  a  promise  to  him 
that  overcometh,  and  an  exJiortation  to  hear  what 
the  Spirit  says  to  the  churches.  Does  not  that 
Spirit  still  address  us  ? 

Unto  the  angel  of  the  church  of  Ephesus  write ;  These  things  saith 
he  that  holdeth  the  seven  stars  in  his  right  hand,  who  walketh  in  the 
midst  of  the  seven  golden  candlesticks  ;  I  know  thy  works,  and  thj-  la- 
bour, and  thy  patience,  and  how  thou  canst  not  bear  them  which  are 
evil:  and  thou  hast  tried  them  which  say  they  are  apostles,  and  are 
not,  and  hast  found  them  liars :  and  hast  borne,  and  hast  patience,  and 
for  my  name's  sake  hast  laboured,  and  bast  not  fainted.  Neverllieless 
I  have  sometohat  against  thee,  because  thou  hast  left  thy  first  love. 
Remember  therefore  from  whence  thou  art  fallen,  and  repent,  and  do 
the  first  works ;  or  else  I  will  come  unto  thee  quickly,  and  will  re- 
move thy  candlestick  out  of  its  place,  except  thou  repent.  But  this 
thou  hast,  that  thou  hatest  the  deeds  of  the  Nicolaitans,  which  I  also 
hate.  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto 
the  churches ;  To  him  that  overcometh  will  I  give  to  eat  of  the  tree 
of  life,  which  is  in  the  midst  of  the  paradise  of  God. — Rev.  ii :  1-7. 

Ephesus  was  the  metropolis  of  Proconsular  Asia. 
The  gospel  was  planted  here  by  Paul.  When  he 
took  leave  of  them  at  Miletus,  they  were  in  a  good 
state,  but  he  forewarned  them  of  trials.  The  char- 
acter in  which  Christ  addresses  them  is  that  of  one 
holding  the  seven  stars  in  his  right  hand,  and  walk- 
ing amid  the  seven  golden  candlesticks — i.  e.,  de- 
fending, sustaining_,  inspecting  his  people  by  his 
presence  and  grace.  Their  state  was  still  highly 
commended.      They  worked  —  even    labored     for 


LECTURE    FIRST.  IT 

Christ ;  and  when  persecuted  were  patient — main- 
tained a  sound  discipline  against  evil  men  and  false 
teachers,  and  endured  these  labors  and  trials  with 
becoming  fortitude.  Yet  Christ  had  somewhat 
against  them.  They  had  left  their  first  love.  Here 
we  see  that  God  looketh  at  the  heart.  Thougli  we 
may  not  fall  into  open  apostacy,  yet  a  declension 
in  our  affections  is  criminal.  To  feel  less  interest 
in  Christ,  his  cause,  his  people,  his  ordinances,  is 
to  reproach  Ilira.  It  is  to  say.  We  have  not  found 
that  in  his  religion  which  we  expected  to  find.  Of 
this  sin  the  Ephesiana  were  exhorted  to  repent,  and 
disobedience  was  threatened  with  their  extinction 
as  a  church.  A  declension  in  love  is  followed  by 
degeneracy  in  good  works,  to  which  they  are  urged 
to  return.  He  again  commends  them  for  hating 
the  doctrine  of  the  Nicolaitans — a  people  who 
practiced  a  community  of  wives,  and  lived  in  open 
excesses.  The  address  closes  by  promising*the 
victor  the  fruit  of  the  tree  of  life,  wliich  is  in  the 
midst  of  the  paradise  of  God.  No  flaming  sword, 
no  cherubim  should  prevent  access  to  this  tree. 

And  unto  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Smyrna  write ;  These  tilings 
eaith  the  first  and  the  last,  which  was  dead,  and  is  alive ;  I  know  thy 
works,  and  tribulation,  and  poverty,  but  thou  art  rich ;  and  /  know 
thn  bla.'pbemy  of  them  which  say  tliey  are  Jews,  and  are  not,  but  are 
the  gynagojruo  of  Satan.  Fear  none  of  those  things  which  thou  shalt 
nufler  :  behold,  the  devil  ahall  cast  »omc  of  you  into  i)ri8on,  that  ye 
may  be  tried ;  and  ye  shall  have  tribulation  ten  days  :  bu  thou  faithful 
unto  death,  and  I  will  give  thee  a  crown  of  life.  He  that  hath  an  ear, 
let  him  hear  wiiat  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches;  Ue  that  over- 
co'iieth  shall  not  be  hurt  of  the  second  death. — ii  :  8-11. 


18  LECTUKE    riRST. 

The  character  under  which  Christ  speaks  to  the 
church  in  Smyrna  is  as  "the  first  and  last," 
who  was  "  dead  and  is  alive."  The  former  is  ex- 
pressive of  his  Godhead,  the  latter  gives  an  exam- 
ple of  jjersecution  and  of  deliverance  from  it.  He 
commends  their  works  and  poverty  for  conscience 
sake,  while  they  were  rich  in  spiritual  graces. 
We  hear  much  of  respectable  congregations,  but  the 
Saviour  esteems  those  most  worthy,  who,  though 
poor  in  this  world's  goods,  are  rich  in  divine  influ- 
ences. These  brethren  had  to  contend  witli  the 
unbelieving  Jews,  who,  by  denying  and  blasphe- 
ming their  Lord,  now  merited  the  appellation  of 
the  synagogue  of  Satan.  They  were  taught  to  ex- 
pect more  trials  from  the  agents  of  the  devil,  and 
exhorted  to  courage  and  fidelity,  by  the  promise 
of  a  crown  of  life  and  exemption  from  the  second 
death. 

And  to  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Pergamos  write ;  These  things 
saith  he  which  hath  the  sharp  sword  with  two  edges;  I  know  thy 
works,  and  where  tliou  dwellest,  e»en  where  Satan's  seat  is  :  and  thou 
holdest  fast  my  name,  and  hast  not  denied  my  faith,  even  in  those 
days  wherein  Antipas  «•««  my  faithful  martyr,  who  was  slain  among 
you,  where  Satan  dwelleth.  But  I  have  a  few  things  against  thee, 
because  thou  hast  there  them  that  hold  the  doctrine  of  Balaam,  who 
taught  Balak  to  cast  a  stumbling-block  before  the  children  of  Israel, 
to  eat  things  sacrificed  unto  idols,  and  to  commit  fornication.  So  hast 
thou  also  them  that  hold  the  doctrine  of  the  Nicolaitans,  which  thing 
I  hate.  Repent ;  or  else  I  will  come  unto  thee  quickly,  and  will  fight 
against  them  with  the  sword  of  my  mouth.  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let 
him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches;  To  him  that  over- 
cometh  will  I  give  to  eat  of  the  hidden  manna,  and  will  give  him  a 
white  stone,  and  in  the  stone  a  new  nam^  written,  which  no  man 
knoweth  saving  he  that  receiveth  it. — ii :  12-17. 


LECTURE    FIRST.  19 

The  character  now  assumed  is  that  of  one  who 
has  a  sharp  sword,  with  two  edges,  and  wears  a  ter- 
rible aspect  against  a  corrupt  party  of  the  church 
in  Pergamos.  The  great  body  of  the  church,  how- 
ever, is  commended  for  their  steadfastness  amid 
prevailing  vices  and  persecutions.  One  of  their 
number  had  even  been  slain  for  his  attachment  to 
the  gospel.  Still,  there  was  a  shade  in  the  picture. 
Some  of  the  members  tampered  with  idolatry,  and 
its  ordinary  attendant,  fornication,  and  the  rest 
connived  at  it.  This  is  called  the  "doctrine  of 
Balaam,"  because  in  this  manner  that  wicked 
prophet  drew  Israel  into  sin.  Numbers,  31  :  16, 
25  :  1.  They  also  had  among  them  adherents  to 
the  doctrines  of  the  Nicolaitans,  who,  perhaps, 
sanctioned  idolatry.  Tlicy  are  exhorted  to  repent, 
on  pain  of  Christ's  dis})leasure,  who  threatens  to 
execute  against  them  the  judgments  of  his  word. 
To  those  who  vanquish  these  spiritual  foes  he 
])roraiscs  'Miidden  manna,"  i.e.,  secret  spiritual 
blessings — a  white  stone,  i.  e.,  acquittal  from  all 
their  sins,  (the  Romans  put  a  black  stone  into 
the  urn  for  condemnation,  and  a  white  one  for  jus- 
tification,) and  a  new  name,  i.  e.,  exalted  honor, 
wliich  only  he  could  ajjpreciate  who  should  enjoy  it. 
The  Greeks  gave  white  stones  to  the  conquerors  in 
the  Olympic  games,  with  their  names  upon  tluMii. 

And  nnto  the  an^cl  of  the  church  in  Thjalira  write  :  Thene  Ihinps 
Hailh  the  Son  of  God,  who  lialii  his  cycB  like  unto  a  fhuiic  of  (ire,  and 
hia  feet  ftre  like  fine  brass;  I  know  tliy  workn,  and  charity,  and  ser- 


20  LECTURE    PIRST. 

vice,  and  faith,  and  thy  patience,  and  thy  works;  and  the  last  to  he 
more  than  the  first.  Notwithstanding  I  have  a  few  things  against 
thee,  because  thou  suffercst  that  woman  Jezebel,  which  calleth  herself 
a  prophetess,  to  teach  and  to  seduce  uiy  servants  to  commit  fornica- 
tion, and  to  eat  things  sacrificed  unto  idols.  And  I  gave  her  space  to 
repent  of  her  fornication ;  and  she  repented  not.  Behold,  I  will  cast 
her  into  a  bed,  and  them  that  commit  adultery  with  her  into  great 
tribulation,  except  they  repent  of  their  deeds.  And  I  will  kill  her 
children  with  death ;  and  all  the  churches  shall  know  that  I  am  he 
which  searcheth  the  reins  and  hearts;  and  I  will  give  unto  every  one 
of  you  according  to  your  works.  But  unto  you  I  say,  and  unto  the 
rest  in  Thjatira,  as  many  as  have  not  this  doctrine,  and  which  have 
not  known  the  depths  of  Satan,  as  they  speak ;  I  will  put  upon  jou 
none  other  burden.  But  that  which  ye  have  already,  hold  fast  till  I 
come.  And  he  that  overcometh,  and  keepeth  ray  works  unto  the  end, 
to  him  will  I  give  power  over  the  nations ;  and  he  shall  rule  them  with 
a  rod  of  iron ;  as  the  vessels  of  a  potter  shall  they  be  broken  to  shiv- 
ers ;  even  as  I  received  of  my  Father.  And  I  will  give  him  the  morn- 
ing star.  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hoar  what  the  Spirit  saith 
unto  the  churches. — ii  :  18-29. 

The  glorified  Saviour  here  possesses  eyes  like  a 
flame  of  fire,  indicating  the  i:)ower  to  search  the 
heart,  and  feet  of  fine  hrass,  denoting  the  stabil- 
ity and  glory  of  his  proceedings.  He  highly  com- 
mends tlieir  works,  and  charity,  and  service,  and 
patience,  and  loorks.  Nor  is  this  last  word  re- 
peated without  cause.  It  implies  their  jjersevering, 
and  even  abounding,  in  good  works.  ^'  The  last 
were  more  than  the  first."  Of  some  churches  and 
some  Christians  it  may  be  said,  Christ  may  know 
their  ivorhs  and  their  worhs,  i.  e.,  their  first  and 
their  last  works,  but  the  first  are  more  than  the 
last.  Of  this  cliurch_,  the  last  were  more  than  the 
first.  Nevertheless,  he  had  a  few  things  against 
tlierrij  even.     Ahab,  the  king  of  Israel^  married 


LECTUREFIRST.  21 

Jezebel,  the  daughter  of  the  king  of  the  Zidonians. 
By  her  influence  he  and  his  people  served  Baal, 
and  were  drawn  into  idolatry  and  fornication.  1st 
Kings,  16  :  31.  In  allusion  to  this  fact,  the  corrupt 
part  of  the  church,  given  to  idolatry,  and  inducing 
others  to  commit  the  same  sin,  is  here  called  Jeze- 
bel. As  that  woman  made  pretensions  to  divine  au- 
thority, and  drew  the  servants  of  God  into  literal 
and  spiritual  fornication,  so  these  had  a. kind  of  re- 
ligion that  would  comport  with  eating  and  drinking 
at  idolatrous  temples,  and  thus  of  being  guilty  of 
spiritual  adultery.  These  corrupt  members  he 
threatens  most  awfully  with  death,  "  and  all  the 
churches  shall  know  that  I  am  he  which  searcheth 
the  reins  and  hearts :  and  I  will  give  unto  every 
one  of  you  according  to  your  works."  To  kill  with 
death  is  to  destroy  by  a  natural  disease,  in  contra- 
distinction from  violence,  as  by  a  sword.  He  now 
commends  those  who  hold  not  that  doctrine,  and 
wlio  had  not  experienced  the  depths  of  Satan's 
guile,  promises  to  the  faithful  the  honor  of  judging 
the  ungodly,  and  ultimately  triumphing  over  them, 
and  that  he  would  give  them  the  morning  star.  To 
have  power  over  the  nations,  and  to  rule  tliem  with 
an  iron  sceptre,  is  to  be  made  king  over  them,  and 
to  reign  with  Clirist  after  the  first  resurrection.  As 
tlic  morning  star  is  one  of  the  names  assumed  by 
himself,  it  may  denote  that  he  himself  will  be  their 
eternal  portion  ;  or,  as  Christ  is  the  morning  star 
whicli  is  to  rise  on   the  New  Jerusalem,  and  to  su- 


22  LECTUREFIRST. 

pcrsede  the  need  of  the  sun  or  moon,  to  have  that 
star  is  to  helong  to  the  New  Jerusalem  at  its  de- 
scent from  heaven.  Let  us  hear  what  the  Spirit 
says  unto  tlie  churches.  In  the  address  to  this 
church  we  are  taught  hy  the  Spirit  that  we  may  he 
members  of  a  true  church,  and  yet  not  he  true 
members  of  the  church. 

And  unto  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Rardis  write ;  These  things 
saith  he  that  hath  the  seven  spirits  of  God,  and  the  seven  stars  ;  I  know 
thy  works,  that  thou  hast  a  name  that  thou  livest,  and  art  dead.  Be 
watchful,  and  strengthen  the  things  which  remain,  that  are  ready  to 
die  :  for  I  have  not  found  thy  works  perfect  before  God.  Remember 
therefore  how  thou  hast  received  and  heard,  and  hold  fast,  and  repent. 
If  therefore  thou  shalt  not  watch,  I  will  come  on  thee  as  a  thief,  and 
thou  shalt  not  know  what  hour  I  will  come  upon  thee.  Thou  hast  a 
few  names  even  in  Sardis,  which  have  not  defiled  their  garments ;  and 
they  shall  walk  with  me  in  white  :  for  they  are  worthy.  He  that  over- 
cometh,  the  same  shall  be  clothed  in  white  raiment;  and  I  will  not  blot 
out  his  name  out  of  the  book  of  life,  but  I  will  confess  his  name  before 
my  Father,  and  before  his  angels.  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear 
what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches. — Rev.  iii  :  1-6. 

The  character  in  which  Christ  addresses  the  Sar- 
dian  church,  is  that  of  one  who  hath  the  seven 
spirits  of  God,  and  who  hokls  the  seven  stars. 
This  may  be  designed  to  direct  them  and  their 
pastor  where  to  look  for  reviving  grace.  Such 
grace  they  greatly  needed,  as  they  had  ''a  name 
to  live,  while  they  were  dead."  Individuals 
among  them  are  commended,  but  the  great  mass 
of  the  members  were  deplorably  wrong.  He  ex- 
horts them  to  watchfulness — to  a  resuscitation  of 
their  languishing  graces.  It  is  bad  for  the  world 
to  be  dead,  but  for  a  church  to  be  so  is  worse. 


LECTURE    FIRST.  23 

This  is  for  tlie  salt  of  the  earth  to  lose  its  savor — 
for  the  light  of  the  world  to  become  darhness  !     If 
any  of  us  are  like  these  brethren,  let  us  heed  the 
warning.     And  the  best  way  to  do  it  is  that  each 
one  should  hegin  ivith  himself  and  end  ivith  another. 
The  means  of  recovering  from  such  a  state  are, 
"  remembering  how  we  received  and  heard  "  the 
gospel  at  the  first.     Call  to  mind  the  former  days, 
not  to  get  comfort  under  our  declension,  but  to  re- 
cover those  sweet  emotions  which  we  had  at  the 
beginning  of  our  Christian  course.     This  church  is 
threatened   with    the   visitation   of  sudden   judg- 
ments, unless  they  should  repent.     The  few  names 
in  Sardis  that  liad  not  defiled  tlieir  garments  are 
highly  approved.     To  walk  with  God  at  any  time 
is  acceptable  to  him,  but  to  do  tliis  while  others 
around  us  are  corrupt,  is  more  so.     This  is  being 
faithful  among  the  faithless.     Tliey  shall  walk  with 
Christ  in  white,  i.  e.,  in  ])urity  and  lionor,     Tliis 
promise  of  being  clad  in  white  raiment  is  again 
repeated   to   those   wlio   shall    overcome.     To   be 
clothed  in  a  white  robe  is  to  be  adorned  as  a  bride, 
wlien  prepared  by  a  resurrection  for  a  descent  as 
the  New  Jerusalem.     They  ehould  not  have  their 
names  blotted  out  of  the  book  of  life,  but  should 
be  confessed  before  his  Father  and  the  holy  angels. 
God  is  here  represented  as  keeping  a  register  of  his 
professed   followers,  and   if   any   turn    back   their 
names   are   crase<l.       In    other    places,    those    not 
found  in  that  book  are  spoken  of  as  forbidden  to 


24  LECTURE    FIRST. 

enter  the  New  Jerusalem,  but  as  being  cast  into 
the  lake  of  fire.  lie  tliat  hath  an  ear,  let  him 
hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches. 

And  to  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Philadelphia  write :  These  thinss 
saith  he  that  is  holy,  he  that  is  true,  he  that  hath  the  key  of  David, 

he  that  openeth,  and  no  man  shutteth ;  and  shutteth,  and  no  man 
openeth ;  I  know  thy  works :  behold,  I  have  set  before  thee  an  open 
door,  and  no  man  can  shut  it :  for  thou  hast  a  little  strength,  and  hast 
kept  my  word,  and  hast  not  denied  my  name.  Behold,  I  will  make 
them  of  the  synagogue  of  Satan,  which  say  they  are  Jews,  and  are 
not,  but  do  lie;  behold,  I  will  make  them  to  come  and  worship  before 
thy  feet,  and  to  know  that  1  have  loved  thee.  Because  thou  hast  kept 
the  word  of  my  patience,  I  also  will  keep  thee  from  the  hour  of  temp- 
tation, which  shall  come  upon  all  the  world,  to  try  them  that  dwell 
upon  the  earth.  Behold,  I  come  quickly  :  hold  that  fast  which  thou 
hast,  that  no  man  take  thy  crown.  Him  that  overcometh  will  I  make 
a  pillar  in  the  temple  of  my  God,  and  he  shall  go  no  more  out :  and  I 
will  write  upon  him  the  name  of  my  God,  and  the  name  of  the  city  of 
my  God,  tchich  is  new  Jerusalem,  which  cometh  down  out  of  heaven 
from  my  God  :  and  IwUl  write  upon  him  my  new  name.  He  that  hath  an 
ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches. — iii :  7-13. 

There  is  a  great  difference  between  the  church 
at  Sardis  and  that  at  Philadelphia.  In  that  there 
was  nothing  to  commend  ;  in  this  nothing  is  cen- 
sured. The  character  under  which  they  are  ad- 
dressed accords  with  the  address  itself.  He  that 
is  "holy  and  true"  approved  them — he  that 
hath  the  key  of  David,  that  openeth  and  no  man 
shutteth,  and  shutteth  and  no  man  openeth,  had 
set  before  them  an  open  door  which  no  man  can 
shut.  Not  distinguished  by  opulence  or  worldly 
influence,  they  had  made  a  good  use  of  their 
"little  strength" — had  held  fast  to  the  truth 
under  persecution.     Christ  therefore  promises  that 


LECTURE    FIRST.  25 

the  hostile  Jews  residing  in  the  city  shoukl  be 
finally  reconciled.  The  ninth  verse  may  either 
signify  that  these  Jews  shall  he  won  over  by  their 
example,  and  sliall  sincerely  worship  God  among 
them,  or  that  the  Christians  should  so  increase  in 
number,  that  the  Jews  in  their  wars  with  the  Ro- 
mans would  feel  the  need  of  their  friendship,  and 
should  come  to  them  with  cringing  submission,  and 
own  that  God  sustained  their  cause.  He  proceeds: 
*'  Because  thou  hast  kept  the  word  of  my  patience,' 
i.  e.,  hast  been  patient  according  to  my  word  under 
past  trials,  I  also  will  keep  thefe  in  that  fearful 
season  of  persecution  that  shall  originate  either 
from  the  heathen  or  from  corrupt  Christians.  As 
the  Lord  punishes  sin  by  giving  men  up  to  it,  so 
he  rewards  righteousness  by  preserving  them  in  its 
paths.  He  announces  to  them  his  sj^eedy  advent 
either  by  their  individual  death,  or  by  his  coming 
to  the  earth  in  the  way  of  judgments.  And  though 
he  had  confidence  in  them,  yet  he  admonishes  theiQ 
to  hold  fast  to  their  integrity  that  no  man  take 
their  crown.  We  may  counsel  those  in  whom  we 
see  all  things  right  at  present,  and  none  are  more 
willing  to  receive  counsel  than  those  who  need  it 
least.  Pie  strengthens  this  admonition  by  a  prom- 
ise. They  that  overcome  these  approaching  diffi- 
culties shall  be  made  pillars  in  the  temple  of  my 
God — denoting  stability  and  support  in  his  king- 
dom. This  may  refer  either  to  their  useful  and 
influential  lives  in  the  church  militant,  or  more 
3 


26  LECTURE    FIRST. 

probably  to  their  bigh  station  in  the  millennial 
kingdom.  Unlike  the  pillars  of  the  Jewish  temple, 
which  were  removed  by  the  Chaldeans  and  Ro- 
mans, they  shall  go  no  more  out,  but  shall  remain 
as  permanent  supports  to  the  cause  of  salvation. 
They  shall  stand  as  pillars  of  beauty  and  strength 
in  the  heavenly  temple.  He  proceeds  :  I  will  write 
upon  him  the  name  of  my  God  and  of  New  Jeru- 
salem, and  my  own  new  name.  These  terms  imply 
the  honor  that  awaits  them.  God  shall  recognize 
them  as  his  in  the  last  day  by  the  impress  of  his 
own  name  on  their  souls,  and  he  shall  admit  them 
to  exalted  honors  in  his  eternal  kingdom. 

And  unto  the  angel  of  the  church  of  the  Laodiceans  write :  These 
things  saith  the  Amen,  the  faithful  and  true  witness,  the  beginning  of 
the  creation  of  God;  I  know  thj  works,  that  thou  art  neither  cold  nor 
hot:  I  would  thou  wert  cold  or  hot.  So  then  because  thou  art  luke- 
warm, and  neither  cold  nor  hot,  I  will  spew  thee  out  of  my  mouth. 
Because  thou  sayest,  I  am  rich,  and  increased  with  goods,  and  have 
need  of  nothing ;  and  knowest  not  that  thou  art  wretched,  and  mis- 
erable, and  poor,  and  blind,  and  naked  :  I  counsel  thee  to  buy  of  me 
gold  tried  in  the  lire,  that  thou  mayest  be  rich  ;  and  white  raiment, 
that  thou  mayest  be  clothed,  and  that  the  shame  of  thy  nakedness  do 
not  appear ;  and  anoint  thine  eyes  with  eyesalve,  that  thou  mayest  see. 
As  many  as  I  love,  I  rebuke  and  chasten :  be  zealous,  therefore,  and 
repent.  Behold,  I  stand  at  the  door,  and  knock  :  if  any  man  hear  my 
voice,  and  open  the  door,  I  will  come  in  to  him,  and  sup  with  him,  and 
he  with  me.  To  him  that  overcometh  will  I  grant  to  sit  with  me  in 
my  throne,  even  as  1  also  overcame,  and  am  set  down  with  my  Father 
in  his  throne.  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith 
unto  the  churches. —  iii  :  14-22. 

This  church  was  in  the  worst  state  of  any  of  the 
seven.  Even  Sardis  had  a  few  good  names,  but 
Laodicea  is   censured   without    distinction.     The 


LECTURE     FIRST.  27 

merciful  Saviour,  however,  does  not  give  them  up, 
but  rebukes  them  in  love.  The  character  under 
which  he  addresses  them  is  that  of  the  "  Amen, 
the  faithful  and  true  witness,"  which  implies  that 
unpleasant  as  was  his  complaint  against  them,  it 
was  true.     Christ  is  here  called  the  beoinnins:  of 

O  O 

the  creation  of  God.  It  is  true  that  as  to  his  human 
nature,  he  was  created,  but  the  text  cannot  allude 
to  this,  because  as  to  his  body,  it  was  not  the  first 
that  God  created.  It  therefore  means  that  he  is 
the  first  cause,  the  origin  of  creation,  {^i  ap;i:»?)  A 
message  from  such  a  being  deserved  their  serious 
consideration.  He  knew  their  works,  but  did  not 
approve  them.  They  were  *'  neither  cold  nor  hot." 
To  be  cold  is  to  have  no  religion  and  pretend  to 
none — to  be  hot  is  to  be  zealously  occupied  in 
Christ's  work.  But  these  people  were  neither  this 
nor  that — they  were  not  decidedly  religious,  nor 
would  they  let  religion  alone.  This  state  of  mind 
is  peculiarly  offensive  to  Christ.  To  halt  l)etween 
truth  and  error,  God  and  the  world,  is  worse,  in 
many  respects,  than  to  be  openly  irreligious.  Cor- 
rupt Christianity  is  more  offensive  to  God,  and 
more  hurtful  to  society,  than  open  infidelity.  No 
man  thinks  the  worse  of  the  gospel  for  what  he 
sees  in  the  openly  profane,  l)ut  it  is  otherwise  in 
regard  to  professors  of  religion.  11  he  that  nameth 
the  name  of  Christ  depart  not  from  inicjuity,  re- 
pro.ach  must  fall  on  the  honor  of  Christ.  Ilenco 
lie   says,    *' /  would  thou  wcrt    cold  or  hoi" — bo 


28  LECTURE    FIRST. 

fervent,  honest,  tliorougli  going  Christians,  or  make 
no  pretensions  at  all  to  religion.  The  cause  of  their 
deadness  is  next  assigned — they  were  rich,  and  in- 
creased witli  goods  and  had  need  of  nothing. 
Worldly  prosperity  is  often  a  great  hindrance  to 
vital  piety.  If  God  send  us  opulence,  we  should 
pray  mightily  for  humility  and  benevolence.  The 
two  states  of  worldly  and  spiritual  success  may 
both  be  united  in  one  man.  But  it  is  often  not  the 
case.  While  the  Laodiceans  were  in  temporal 
things  so  well  circumstanced,  in  religion  they  were 
wretched,,  and  miserable,  and  poor,  and  blind,  and 
naked  I  What  a  dreadful  contrast !  He  counsels 
them  as  sinners  in  common,  who  knew  not  the 
Saviour.  Such  were  many  of  them ,  and  if  any  had 
known  him,  yet  being  in  a  backslidden  state,  their 
only  remedy  was  to  come  as  sinners  immediately  to 
the  Saviour.  They  were  directed  to  seek  the  true 
riches,  (tried  gold,)  the  true  righteousness,  (white 
raiment,)  and  the  true  wisdom^  (""anoint  thine 
eyes.")  They  could  not  give  any  valuable  consid- 
eration for  such  blessings^  being  already  spiritually 
bankrupt ;  but  still  it  is  called  buying,  because  they 
were  in  a  certain  sense  to  part  with  all  for  them. 
This  is  what  the  prophet  means  when  he  says,  buy 
wine  and  milk  without  money  and  without  price. 
The  only  way  for  sinners  and  backsliders  to  find, 
mercy,  is  to  give  up  all  and  come  to  God  through 
Jesus  Christ.  He  next  assures  them  that  love  was 
his  motive  for  rebuking  them.     How  often  does 


LECTURE    FIRST.  29 

hatred  among  men  lead  to  reproof!  Not  so  with 
Jesus.  He  has  the  greatest  cause  to  hate  us,  and 
yet  his  love  is  the  greatest !  He  manifests  a  singu- 
lar perseverance  in  trying  to  win  them  back  to  his 
friendship.  "Behold  I  stand  at  the  door  and 
knock :  if  any  man  hear  my  voice,  and  open  the 
door,  I  will  come  in  to  him,  and  will  sup  with  him, 
and  he  with  me."  I  am  seeking  entrance  into 
your  hearts,,  that  our  fellowship  may  be  sweet  and 
mutual.  He  promises  to  those  individuals  among 
them  who  should  hear  his  call,  open  their  heart, 
and  endure  to  the  end,  a  participation  in  his  own 
glory,  even  as  he  shared,  after  his  conquest,  in  his 
Father's  glory. 


LECTURE   SECOND. 


REVELATIONS  IV.,  V.,  VI. :  1-4. 

After  this  I  looked,  and,  behold,  a  door  too*  opened  in  heaven  :  and 
the  first  voice  which  I  heard  was  as  it  were  of  a  trumpet  talking  with 
me  ;  which  said,  Come  up  hither,  and  I  will  shew  thee  things  which 
must  be  hereafter.  And  immediately  I  was  in  the  Spirit :  and,  be- 
hold, a  throne  was  set  in  heaven,  and  one  sat  on  the  throne.  And  he 
that  sat  was  to  look  upon  like  a  jasper  and  a  sardine  stone  :  and  there 
teas  a  rainbow  round  about  the  throne,  in  sight  like  unto  an  emerald. 
And  round  about  the  throne  were  four  and  twenty  seats  :  and  upon  the 
seats  I  saw  four  and  twenty  elders  sitting,  clothed  in  white  raiment ; 
and  they  had  on  their  heads  crowns  of  gold.  And  out  of  the  throne 
proceeded  lightnings  and  thunderings  and  voices :  and  there  were  seven 
lamps  of  fire  burning  before  the  throne,  which  are  the  seven  spirits  of 
God.  And  before  the  throne  there  was  a  sea  of  glass  like  unto  crys- 
tal :  and  in  the  midst  of  the  throne,  and  round  about  the  throne,  were 
four  beasts  full  of  eyes  before  and  behind.  And  the  first  beast  teat  like 
a  lion,  and  the  second  beast  like  a  calf,  and  the  third  beast  had  a  face  as 
a  man,  and  the  fourth  beast  was  like  a  flying  eagle.  And  the  four  beasts 
had  each  of  them  six  wings  about  him  ;  and  they  were  full  of  eyes  with- 
in :  and  they  rest  not  day  and  night,  saying,  Holy,  holy,  holy.  Lord 
God  Almight}',  which  was,  and  is,  and  is  to  come.  And  when  those 
beaots  give  glory  and  honor  and  thanks  to  him  that  sat  on  the  throne, 
who  liveth  for  ever  and  ever,  the  four  and  twenty  elders  fall  dovvn  be- 
fore him  that  sat  on  the  throne,  and  worship  him  that  liveth  for  ever 
and  ever,  and  cast  their  crowns  before  the  throne,  saying,  Thou  art 
worthy,  0  Lord,  to  receive  glory  and  honor  and  power  :  for  thou  hast 
created  all  things,  and  for  thy  pleasure  they  are  and  were  created. — 
Rex).  iv.  :  1-11. 

The  Apostle  having,  in  the  three  first  chapters, 
informed  us  of  the  things  that  he  had  seen,  and 


LECTURE    SECOND.  31 

things  that  then  existed,  now  proceeds  to  describe 
those  which  in  his  day  were  future.  The  whole  of 
the  fourth  chapter,  however^  is  introductory  to  what 
follows.  This  vision  was  designed  to  show  that 
the  revelations  about  to  be  made  were  from  the 
Deity.  It  was  also  designed  to  raise  the  prophet 
to  a  becoming  sense  of  the  infinite  majesty  of  the 
divine  character,  and  of  the  exalted  rectitude  of 
his  government.  The  scene  of  the  vision  is,  there- 
fore, the  heavenly  world.  No  where  else  could  it 
have  been  with  equal  propriety.  Where  but  at 
the  throne  of  Intelligence  could  a  creature  learii 
the  secrets  of  futurity  ?  Where  better  than  in  his 
immediate  presence  could  the  mind  of  man  form 
suitable  conceptions  of  God  ?  A  door  being 
opened  in  heaven,  the  Apostle  was  invited  to  enter 
in.  Having  entered,  he  immediately  finds  himself 
under  prophetic  inspiration.  He  was  not  removed 
from  the  eartli  as  to  his  body  ;  but,  as  Ezekiel  was 
carried  by  the  Spirit  to  Jerusalem,  and  savv  what  was 
transacted  there,  wliile  his  body  was  still  in  Chal- 
dca,  80  John  was  still  in  Patmos,  while  wrapt  by 
divine  inspiration  and  introduced  into  the  invisible 
world.  He  beheld  a  throne  set  in  heaven,  and  one 
sitting  on  it,  who  was  the  Supreme  Ruler.  His 
countenance  was  like  a  jasper  and  a  sardine  stone, 
and  a  rainbow  arched  over  the  throne,  in  api)ear- 
ance  like  an  emerald.  As  the  bow  in  the  cloud 
was  a  sign  of  peace  and  good  will  to  men,  it  may 
here  denote  that  the  glory  of  God  will  be  displayed 


32  LECTURE    SECOND. 

towards  his  cliurcli  in  the  way  of  covenant  mercy. 
He  next  describes  the  retinue  of  this  august  Being. 
There  were  twenty-four  subordinate  thrones  encir- 
cling Him,  on  which  sat  twenty-four  elders,  clothed 
in  white,  and  wearing  crowns  of  gold.  The  num- 
ber is  probably  taken  from  the  twenty-four  orders 
of  priests  ;  and  the  elders  may,  therefore,  be  tlie 
representatives  of  those  of  all  nations  who  are  re- 
deemed by  the  blood  of  Christ.  The  lightnings, 
and  thunders,  and  voices  proceeding  out  of  the 
throne,  possibly  indicate  that  from  Him  who  sat 
on  it  should  come  all  the  terrible  judgments  that 
would  afflict  the  earth.  The  seven  lamps  of  fire 
burning  before  the  throne,  explained  to  be  the 
seven  spirits  of  God,  denote  the  abundant  influence 
of  the  Spirit  as  the  source  of  all  divine  knowledge. 
As  a  lamp  gives  light  to  the  body,  so  the  Holy 
Spirit  illumines  the  mind.  Before  the  throne  was 
a  sea  of  glass,  like  unto  crystal.  This  crystal  sea, 
as  it  was  in*  appearance,  but  which  was  so  solid 
that  the  harpers  are  afterwards  described  (15  :  2) 
as  standing  upon  it,  stretching  out  in  vast  extent 
before  the  throne,  may  imply  the  grandeur  and 
stability  of  the  divine  government,  as  opposed  to 
the  turbulence  and  uncertainty  of  human  thrones. 
The  four  living  creatures — unfortunately  rendered 
leasts  in  our  version — are  stationed  nearer  to  the 
throne  than  the  elders — are  superior  to  them  in 
rank,  and  precede  them  in  acts  of  worship.  They 
probably  represent  those  who  conduct  the  worship 


LECTURE     SECOND.  33 

of  God  in  the  cliurch.   That  they  are  the  same  as  the 
cherubim,  is  apparent  from  the  strong  resemblance 
of  these  to  those  seen  by  Ezekiel,  and  called  by 
him  cherubim ;  and  from  the  fact  that  in  the  taber- 
nacle and  temple,  that  were  made  after  the  pattern 
of  heavenly  things,  there  were  four  cherubs  in  the 
holy  of  holies — i.  e.,  two  on  each  side  of  the  mercy 
seat.     They  are  spoken  of  as  distinct  from  angels, 
and  as  belonging  to  the  human  race,  because  re- 
deemed by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.     If  they  do 
symbolize  the  leaders  of  divine  worship,  their  dif- 
ferent faces  may  describe  the  qualifications  of  the 
ministers  of  Christ,  as  varying  with  the  necessities 
of  successive  ages.     The  face  of  the  lion  imports 
courage — of  the  calf  or  ox,  patience  of  toil — that  of 
a  man,  intelligence — and  that  of  the  eagle,  enter- 
prise.    Each  of  them  had  six  wings — to  denote 
their  zeal  and  swiftness  to  obey  God — while  their 
vast  knowledge  of  the  ways  of  the  Almighty,  both 
past  and  future,  is  shown  by  their  being  full  of  eyes 
before  and  behind.    Tliat  these  living  creatures  are 
superior  to  tlie  elders  in  office,  is  evident  from  the 
statement  that  it  is  in  concurrence  with  them  that 
the  elders  fall   down  and  worshi}).     "And  when 
those  living  creatures   give  glory  and    honor   and 
thanks  to  liim  tliat  sat  on  tlie  tlirone,  wholiveth  for 
ever  and  ever,  the  four  and  twenty  elders  fall  down 
before  him  that  sat  on  the  throne,  and  worsliip  liira 
that  livetli  for  ever  and  ever,  and  cast  tlieir  crowns 
before   the  throne,   saying.   Thou   art   wortliy,   0 


34  LECTURE    SECOND, 

Lord,  to  receive  glory  and  honor  and  power  :  for 
thou  hast  created  all  things,  and  for  thy  pleasure 
they  are  and  were  created."  The  worship  of  these 
beings  bespeaks  a  lofty  perfection  of  knowledge,  and 
a  singular  beauty  of  rectitude.  Their  sensibility  to 
the  glory  of  God's  moral  perfections,  is  raised  to  a 
refinement  and  strength  equal  to  the  perfection  of 
their  intelligence.  They  see  an  infinite  beauty  in 
his  spotless  righteousness,  his  unchangeable  truth, 
his  boundless  benignity,  his  majestic  condescension, 
and  in  the  vast,  the  all-perfect  and  the  innumerable 
forms  in  which  these  qualities  are  displayed  towards 
his  creatures,  and  they  are  borne  by  an  irresistible 
impulse  of  delight  to  their  perpetual  celebration. 

And  I  saw  in  the  right  hand  of  hiin  that  sat  on  the  throne  a  book 
written  within  and  on  the  back  side,  sealed  with  seven  seals.  And  I 
saw  a  strong  angel  proclaiming  with  a  loud  voice,  Who  is  worthy  to 
open  the  book,  and  to  loose  the  seals  thereof?  And  no  man  in  heaven, 
nor  in  earth,  neither  under  the  earth,  was  able  to  open  the  book,  nei- 
ther to  look  thereon.  And  I  wept  much,  because  no  man  was  found 
worthy  to  open  and  to  read  the  book,  neither  to  look  thereon.  And 
one  of  the  elders  saith  unto  me.  Weep  not :  behold  the  Lion  of  the 
tribe  of  Judah,  the  Root  of  David,  hath  prevailed  to  open  the  book, 
and  to  loose  the  seven  seals  thereof.  And  I  beheld,  and,  lo,  in  the 
midst  of  the  throne  and  of  the  four  beasts,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  el- 
ders, stood  a  Lamb  as  it  had  been  slain,  having  seven  horns  and  seven 
eyes,  which  are  the  seven  spirits  of  God  sent  forth  into  all  the  earth. 
And  he  came  and  took  the  book  out  of  the  right  hand  of  him  that  sat 
upon  the  throne.  And  when  he  had  taken  the  book,  the  four  beasts 
and  four  and  twenty  elders  fell  down  before  the  Lamb,  having  every 
one  of  them  harps,  and  golden  vials  full  of  odors,  which  are  the  pray- 
ers of  saints.  And  they  sung  a  new  song,  saying,  Thou  art  worthy  to 
take  the  book,  and  to  open  the  seals  thereof:  for  thou  wast  slain,  and 
hast  redeemed  us  to  God  by  thy  blood  out  of  every  kindred,  and 
tongue,  and  people,  and  nation  ;  and  hast  made  us  unto  our  God  kings 


LECTURE     SECOND.  35 

and  priests  :  and  we  shall  reign  on  the  earth.  And  I  beheld,  and  I 
heard  the  voice  of  many  angels  round  about  the  throne,  and  the  beasts 
and  the  elders  :  and  the  number  of  them  was  ten  thousand  times  ten 
thousand,  and  thousands  of  thousands ;  saying  with  a  loud  voice,  Wor- 
thy is  the  Lamb  that  was  slain  to  receive  power,  and  riches,  and  wis- 
dom, and  strength,  and  honor,  and  glory,  and  blessing.  And  every 
creature  which  is  in  heaven,  and  on  the  earth,  and  under  the  earth, 
and  such  as  are  in  the  sea,  and  all  that  are  in  them,  heard  I  saying, 
Blessing,  and  honor,  and  glory,  and  power,  he  unto  him  that  sitteth 
upon  the  throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb  for  ever  and  ever.  And  the  four 
beasts  said.  Amen.  And  the  four  and  twenty  elders  fell  down  and  wor- 
shipped him  that  liveth  for  ever  and  ever. — licv.  v  :  1-14. 

John  saw  on  the  right  hand  of  Him  that  sat  on 
the  throne  a  book  written  witliin  and  on  the  out- 
side, and  sealed  with  seven  seals.  We  must  not  sup- 
pose that  what  is  here  called  a  book  resembled  the 
form  of  our  books.  Imagine  seven  pieces  of  parch- 
ment, written  on  both  sides,  and  rolled  round  a  stick 
as  we  roll  up  a  map.  Each  of  these  parchments  had 
a  seal  at  the  end  on  the  outside,  so  that  until  the  seal 
was  broken  the  contents  were  invisible.  This  book 
was  the  symbol  of  the  purposes  of  God.  The  wri- 
ting on  both  sides  indicates  the  many  things  to  be 
revealed;  while  its  being  in  the  right  hand  of  Him 
who  sat  on  the  throne,  and  being  sealed,  denote  that 
his  designs  in  regard  to  the  administration  of  the 
chnrcli  and  world  were  hidden  from  creatures.  The 
proclamation  by  a  strong  angel — "  Who  is  worthy 
to  open  tlie  book,  and  to  loose  its  seals?"  shows  that 
no  created  being  wus  able,  unassisted,  to  discern  it, 
or  was  of  a  dignity  equal  to  the  office  of  revealing 
it  to  the  hosts  of  heaven,  or  to  the  church  on  earth. 
The  beloved  John  wept  much  because  no  one  was 


36  LECTURE    SECOND. 

found.  He  cherished  a  fervid  interest  in  the  divine 
purposes,  and  expected  that  great  and  wonderful 
events  were  approaching.  He  had  been  invited  up 
to  heaven  to  learn  things  that  were  yet  to  interest 
the  church — here  was  a  roll  tliat  contained  thera, 
but  no  one  could  break  its  seals  1  He  wept  much  ! 
One  of  the  elders,  observing  his  distress,  said, 
''  Weep  not :  behold,  the  Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Ju- 
dah,  the  Boot  of  David,  hath  prevailed  to  open  the 
book,  and  to  loose  the  seven  seals  thereof."  This 
language  unquestionably  designates  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  The  object  of  this  great  scene  was  to  show 
that  He  is  exalted  to  the  throne,  and  exercises  the 
government  of  the  universe — that  he  attained  that 
exaltation  by  his  work  as  Redeemer — that  thence 
the  right  belongs  to  Him  alone  to  reveal  to  crea- 
tures his  designs,  and  that  he  is  to  conduct  his 
administration  in  the  redemption  of  his  people  ac- 
cording to  the  eternal  purposes  of  God.  John, 
therefore,  beheld  the  risen  and  glorfied  Saviour, 
designated  a  lamb,  as  it  had  been  slain,  having 
seven  horns — the  symbols  of  all-perfect  dominion 
and  power — and  seven  eyes — the  symbols  of  all- 
perfect  knowledge,  or  of  the  every- where  present 
and  potent  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  under  his 
direction.  This  wonderful  personage,  uniting  the 
majesty  of  the  lion  with  the  gentleness  of  the 
lamb,  takes  the  book  out  of  the  hand  of  him  that 
sat  on  the  throne,  and  prepares  to  open  the  seals. 
And  now  the  whole  church  of  God,  by  their  repre- 


LECTURE    SECOND.  37 

sentatives,  are  described  as  falling  down  before  the 
Lamb,  and  joining  in  a  sublime  chorus  of  praise. 
As  the  priests  offered  incense  under  the  law,  so  the 
living  creatures  and  elders,  having  harps,  and  sus- 
taining to  the  whole  church  the  relation  of  priests, 
present   to  the   Lamb,   in  prostrate  homage,  the 
golden  phials  full  of  odors,  which  are  the  prayers 
of  the  saints.     How  pleasing  the  intimation  thus 
given  that  the  supplications  of  believers  are  heard 
and  laid  up   in    heaven.     Thej  also  sing  a  new 
'song,  as  suited  to  a  new  manifestation  of  mercy — 
saying,  "Thou  art  worthy  to  take  the  book,  and  to 
open  the  seals  thereof :   for  thou  wast  slain,  and 
hast  redeemed  us  to  God  by  thy  blood  out  of  every 
kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people,  and  nation ;  and 
hast  made  us  unto  our  God  kings  and  jjriests :  and 
we  shall  reign  on  the  earth."     Nor  could  the  pri- 
meval angels,  though  not  redeemed  by  his  blood, 
be  silent  on  such  an  occasion.     How  vast  a  multi- 
tude was  there  to  give  dignity  to  the  scene!     "And 
I  beheld^  and  I  heard  the  voice  of  many  angels  round 
about  the  throne,  and  the  living  creatures  and  the 
elders :  and  the  number  of  them  was  ten  thousand 
times  ten  thousand,  and  thousands  of  thousands.'* 
All   these   countless   and    glorious   beings  render 
their   united,  joyful   and   splendid   adorations   to 
the  Lamb.     Tliey  exclaim,  "  Worthy  is  the  Lamb 
tliat  was  slain  to  receive  power,  and  riches,  and 
wisdom,  and  strength,  and  honor,  and  glory,  and 
blessing."     Observe  that  they  ascribe  to  him  those 
4 


38  LECTURE    SECOND. 

very  qualities  of  wliicli  he  divested  himself  on 
earth.  Thou  art  worthy  to  receive  power,  though 
once  in  the  form  of  an  infant  and  servant,  and 
riches,  though  on  earth  thou  wast  poor,  and  ivis- 
dom,  though  of  no  repiitation  in  the  world_,  and 
strength,  though  formerly  subject  to  infirmities  and 
death,  and  honor,  though  despised  by  men  as  a 
Gallilean,  and  glory,  though  by  sinners  spit  upon 
and  crowned  with  thorns,  and  blessing,  though 
once  loaded  with  curses  as  a  glutton,,  a  drunkard, 
and  blasphemer  !  Nor  is  the  song  confined  to  an- 
gels. The  whole  creation  acquiesce  in  the  praise 
of  God  and  the  Lamb.  "  And  every  creature 
which  is  in  heaven,  and  on  the  earth,  and  under 
the  earth,  and  such  as  are  in  the  sea,  and  all  that 
are  in  them,  heard  I  saying.  Blessing,  and  honor, 
and  glory,  and  power,  be  unto  him  that  sitteth 
upon  the  throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb  for  ever  and 
ever."  At  every  pause  in  this  grand  symphony, 
the  twenty-four  elders  and  the  four  living  crea- 
tures add  their  loud  amen,  worshipping  him  that 
liveth  for  ever  and  ever. 

The  presence  of  angels  and  of  the  redeemed  on 
the  occasion  of  opening  the  volume,  shows  that 
the  revelation  was  made  to  them  as  well  as  to  men. 
In  view  of  these  anthems  sung  by  angels  and  the 
redeemed  on  high  to  Christ,  wljo  will  say  that  he 
is  possessed  only  of  human  or  only  of  angelic  en- 
dowments ?  And  who  will  insist  that  the  volume 
which  the  Lamb  unsealed  is  yet  closed  and  unin- 


LECTURESECOND.  39 

telligible  ?  And  who  will  charge  with  presump- 
tion, and  vain  curiosity,  an  attempt  to  understand 
events,  the  disclosure  of  which  thrilled  the  celestial 
hosts  with  rapture  ? 

And  I  saw  when  the  Lamb  opened  one  of  the  seals,  and  I  heard,  as  it 
were  the  noise  of  thunder,  one  of  the  four  beasts  saying.  Come  and 
see  :  aud  I  saw,  and  behold  a  white  horse  :  and  he  that  sat  on  him  had 
a  bow ;  and  a  crown  was  given  unto  him  :  and  he  went  forth  conquer- 
ing, and  to  conquer.  — i?ef.  vi  :  1,  2. 

"We  must  not  suppose  that  there  was  on  the 
scroll  a  mere  picture  of  a  warrior  on  horseback. 
Tlie  white  horse  and  his  rider  were  presented  to 
the  view  of  the  prophet  as  real  agents — performing 
real  acts — and  both  the  agent  and  his  acts  were 
significant.  The  opening  of  the  seal  only  denoted 
that  it  was  by  the  agency  of  the  Kedeeraer  that 
the  purposes  of  God  about  to  be  unfolded  were  re- 
vealed. It  was,  therefore,  the  mere  signal  for  the 
manifestation  to  the  prophet  of  the  symbolic  spec- 
tacle by  which  it  was  followed.  The  seal  was  first 
broken — one  of  the  living  creatures  exclaimed  to 
the  horseman,  "come,"  with  a  tone  so  loud  that 
all  the  angelic  armies  might  liear,  and  immediately 
the  warrior  horseman  came  fortli.  The  expression, 
"  come  and  sec,"  has  usually  been  understood  as 
addressed  to  the  Apostle  ;  but  the  best  copies  read 
simply  '^  come,"  and  if  it  be  the  correct  version, 
the  summons  was  adilresscd  to  the  horseman.  The 
persr)nage  on  the  liorse  is  a  warrior,  manifestly, 
from   his  being  armed  with  a  bow — an  instrument 


40  LECTURE     SECOND. 

used  at  that  loeriod  in  the  East  hy  cavalry  in  at- 
tacks at  a  distance.  The  crown  was  given  to  liiin, 
after  his  appearance,  for  the  conquests  he  had  al- 
ready gained.  It  denoted  that  he  had  gained  them 
in  behalf  of  the  power  from  which  he  derived  his 
authority^  and  that  he  had  conducted  his  warfare 
conformably  to  the  end  and  laws  of  his  office.  The 
horse  was  merely  subsidiary  to  his  exerting  a  repre- 
sentative agency  ;  and  his  color  was  white,  because 
in  triumphal  processions  generals  rode  on  white 
horses,  in  token  of  victory.  This  symbol  is  the 
representative,  not  of  one  individual,  but  of  tlie  pure 
teachers  of  Christianity  at  large,  who  went  forth 
from  the  period  of  the  visions,  and  fulfilled  their 
office  conformably  to  the  Word  of  God,  assailing 
with  the  arrows  of  truth  the  hostile  armies  of  idol- 
atry, and  subjecting  them  to  the  sceptre  of  Christ. 
A  warrior  who  canquered  provinces  transferred  the 
allegiance  of  the  vanquished  from  their  old  to  their 
new  rulers.  He  placed  them  under  new  laws.  He 
impressed  a  new  character  on  all  their  civil  and 
military  relations.  So  the  ministers  of  Christ, 
who,  by  proclaiming  the  gospel,  became  the  in- 
struments of  converting  men  to  faith  in  Him, 
transferred  their  supreme  love  from  self,  and  their 
religious  homage  from  idols,  to  the  true  God. 
They  introduced  them  into  a  new  community — 
subjected  tliem  to  new  laws — and  worked  a  radical 
change  in  their  moral  relations.  In  accordance 
with  this  view,  writers  tell  us  that  there  was  a 


LECTURE    SECOND.  41 

rapid  spread  of  the  gospel  from  the  close  of  the 
first  to  the  middle  of  the  third  century.  In  the 
celebrated  letter  of  Pliny  to  Trajan,  he  informs  the 
emperor  that  an  amazing  number  of  persons  had 
avowed  themselves  Christians.  "  Informations  are 
pouring  in  against  multitudes,  of  every  age,  of  all 
orders  and  of  both  sexes.  And  more  will  be  im- 
peached. For  the  contagion  of  this  superstition 
hath  spread,  not  only  through  cities,  but  villages, 
and  hath  even  reached  to  farm  houses.  The  tem- 
ples of  the  gods  were  almost  deserted,  the  solem- 
nities of  idol  worship  were  intermitted,  and  sacri- 
ficial victims  found  but  few  purchasers."  And  the 
intelligence  was  true,  not  only  of  Asia  Minor  and 
Syria,  but  of  various  other  countries.  Rome,  the 
mistress  of  nations,  was  becoming  obedient  to  the 
faith,  and  the  diadem  of  the  Ctesars  was  soon  laid 
at  tlie  foot  of  the  Cross. 

And  when  he  had  opened  the  second  seal,  I  heard  the  second  beast 
say,  Come  and  see.  And  there  went  out  another  horse  that  xca»  red  : 
and />oic«r  was  |;ivcn  to  him  that  sat  thereon  to  take  peace  from  tho 
earth,  and  that  they  should  kill  one  another :  and  there  was  given  unto 
him  a  great  sword. — vi  :  3,  4. 

The  summons  by  the  living  creature  was  proba- 
bly addressed  in  tins  instance,  as  before,  to  the 
Hyiiibolic  agent,  not  to  the  projihet.  He  exclaimed 
"  cfjme,"  and  there  went  forth  another — a  red 
horse.  This  horHonian  is  a  warrior  also.  The 
sword,  like  the  bow,  is  an  instrument  of  contest 
and  dominion,  but  more  destructive.     Used  only 


42  LECTURE    SECOND. 

in  close  combat,  it  is  employed  with  greater  pas- 
sion, and  is  the  implement  alike  of  defence,  of  am- 
bition, and  of  revenge.  This  warrior  takes  peace 
from  the"  earth.  He  is  aggressive,  therefore,  as 
well  as  the  former,  but  unlike  him,  he  interrupts 
the  security  and  peace  which  he  is  bound  to  pro- 
mote, and  grasps  at  an  authority  and  dominion 
that  do  not  belong  to  him.  fle  uses  his  sword, 
therefore,  for  personal  and  sinister  objects,  and 
against  the  ends  for  which  it  is  designed.  He  is 
accordingly  not  crowned,  but  only  obtains  a  great- 
er sword,  by  which  his  power  to  destroy  is  in- 
creased. The  agents  whom  this  symbol  denotes 
are  also  teachers  of  the  church.  To  slay  one  ano- 
ther with  the  sword  is  to  destroy  each  other's 
spiritual  life  by  violence.  This  was  done  by  a  sen- 
tence of  exclusion  from  salvation  by  an  authorita- 
tive decree.  It  was  done  in  a  still  higher  sense  by 
compelling  one  another  through'the  power  of  their 
office  to  embrace  an  apostate  religion,  by  which 
they  necessarily  perished.  What  class  of  teachers, 
then,  is  there  in  the  church  in  whose  agency  these 
peculiarities  meet — a  usurpation  of  powers  which 
Christ  has  not  authorized — a  destruction  thereby 
of  religious  peace  from  the  earth,  and  finally  a 
compulsion  of  men  to  apostacy  in  order  to  confirm 
and  perpetuate  that  usurpation  ?  All  these  are 
conspicuous  characteristics  of  diocesan  bishops, 
especially  of  the  Asiatic^  African,  Greek  and  Ro- 
man churches.     When  the  gospel  was  first  propa- 


LECTURE    SECOND.  43 

gated,  each  church  had  its  presiding  officer.  He 
was  called  pastor,  bishop,  elder,  overseer,  presby- 
ter or  teacher,  according  to  the  different  lights  in 
which  his  office  was  viewed.  Between  all  the 
churches,  and  all  their  bishops,  there  was  perfect 
equality.  No  one  had  any  official  precedence  of 
the  others.  All  the  communicants  of  a  city  were 
considered  as  one  church,  and  all  the  elders  as  be- 
longing to  that  church  ;  but  as  no  spacious  edifices 
for  worship  were  then  erected,  and  as  persecution 
forbade  their  assembling  in  large  bodies,  they  met 
in  small  companies  at  private  houses,  each  with  a 
pastor  to  conduct  their  devotions.  The  churches 
of  the  several  cities  were  in  like  manner  equal  in 
right  and  authority,  and  wholly  independent  of. 
each  other.  In  process  of  time,  however,  strifes 
for  distinction  and  i)Ower  arose  among  the  presby- 
ters of  the  cities.  Each  one  claimed  a  peculiar 
right  to  his  own  congregation^  and  endeavored  to 
retain  his  control  to  tlie  exclusion  of  the  other 
presbyters.  To  prevent  the  jealousies  and  ani- 
mosities thence  arising,  tlie  councils,  wliich  then 
began  to  be  heW,  decreed  that  one  chosen  by  the 
presbyters  of  their  own  number  should  be  placed 
over  theotliers  and  denominated  their  bisliop.  The 
new  office,  however,  instead  of  a  check  to  ambition, 
tended  rather  to  increase  tlieir  competition  for 
honor,  wealth  and  influence.  It  gave  rise  to  in- 
trigues, rivalries  and  contests  that  destroyed  the 
peace  of  tlic  church  and  of  the  empire,   and  has 


44  LECTURE    SECOND. 

continued  to  generate  them  througli  every  subse- 
quent age.  The  bishops,  thus  created,  soon 
began  to  assume  the  power  to  legislate  over  the 
church  and  thence  over  the  rights  and  will  of 
God.  They  decided  what  was  orthodox — claim- 
ed the  privilege  of  conferring  or  withholding  or- 
dination, and  by  the  injunction  of  celibacy,  by 
the  imposition  of  cruel  penances,  by  compelling 
a  partici2)ation  in  rites  felt  to  be  idolatrous,  they 
destroyed  the  peace  of  millions.  Then  followed 
in  quick  succession  the  decrees  of  councils  en- 
joining the  invocation  of  saints,  the  homage  of 
relics,  and  the  worship  of  images.  These  were  en- 
forced by  the  most  solemn  anathemas  that  carried 
terror  wherever  they  were  published.  The  excom- 
municated were  not  only  forbidden  to  enter  reli- 
gious assemblies,  but  were  debarred  from  society, 
deprived  of  civil  rights,  divested  of  their  property^ 
and  rendered  infamous.  They  thus  filled  up  the 
prophetic  symbol  of  John — peace  was  taken  from 
the  earth — they  killed  one  another  with  spiritual 
deatli — they  brandished  the  great  sword  that  was 
hurtful  to  the  souls  of  men. 


LECTUEE   THIRD. 


REVELATIONS,  CHAPTER  VI :  5-17. 

And  when  he  had  opened  the  third  seal,  I  heard  the  third  beast  say, 
Come  and  see.  And  I  beheld,  and  lo  a  black  horse ;  and  he  that  sat  on 
him  had  a  pair  of  balances  in  his  hand.  And  I  heard  a  voice  in  the 
iniddt  of  the  four  beasts  say,  A  measure  of  wheat  for  a  penny,  and 
three  measures  of  barley  for  a  penny ;  and  see  thou  hurt  not  the  oil 
and  the  wine.— vi :  5,  6. 

This  symbol  is  taken  from  political  life,  and  is  a 
ruler  who  reduces  his  subjects  to  want  and  misery 
by  taxation.  This  is  denoted  first  by  the  balance, 
the  symbol  of  a  civil  magistrate — next  by  the 
Avheat,  the  barley,  the  oil  and  the  wine — articles 
over  which  he  exercises  authority  ;  thirdly,  by  the 
price,  which  implies  that  he  determines  the  rates 
at  which  they  are  to  be  valued  ;  fourthly,  by  the 
command  to  injure  not  the  oil  and  the  wine,  which 
denotes  that  the  taxes  are  so  oppressive  that  the 
liusbandmun  prunes  the  olive  and  the  vine  to  pre- 
vent their  bearing  and  to  exempt  them  from  as- 
sessment, and  finally  by  the  color  of  tlie  horse, 
whicli  indicates  ullliction. 

The  voice  from  the  living  creatures  describes  the 
agency  the  horsonian  is  to  exert,  but  is  not  pro- 


46  LECTURE     THIRD. 

phetic  of  restraints  to  Avliich  he  is  himself  to  be 
siihjectcd.  The  price  of  a  day's  labor  in  that  age 
was  a  penny,  the  choenix  of  wheat  was  the  usual 
allowance  for  a  day's  sustenance,  so  that  it  took 
the  entire  proceeds  of  a  man's  labor  to  support 
himself,  to  say  nothing  of  his  family.  The  scarcity 
and  the  high  price  of  provision  caused  greater  ex- 
actness to  be  used  in  weight  and  measure.  This  sym- 
bol is  drawn  from  the  Roman  Emperors,  who  taxed 
their  subjects  until  famine  desolated  the  whole 
empire.  But  it  is  designed  to  foretell  the  famine 
of  spiritual  food  which  was  brought  on  the  church 
by  its  professed  teachers.  They  withheld  from  the 
people  the  supports  of  spiritual  life — that  know- 
ledge of  God,  of  their  own  condemnation,  and  of 
the  way  of  life  through  the  Saviour,  to  which  they 
were  entitled,  and  which  was  requisite  to  a  vigor- 
ous piety.  And  this  perversion  of  their  office  dis- 
tinguished the  ministers  of  the  church  during  the 
whole  of  the  third  and  a  quarter  of  the  fourth 
century. 

Let  us  specify — 

1.  They  failed  to  hold  up  the  peculiar  doctrines 
of  the  gospel,  the  sanctity  of  God's  claims,  the 
alienation  and  guilt  of  man^  the  full  atonement 
made  by  the  death  of  Christ — justification  by  faith 
in  his  blood,  and  the  nature  and  necessity  of  re- 
generation by  the  Holy  Spirit.  In  their  contro- 
versies with  idolaters  they  relied  on  the  doctrines 
of  a  vain  philosophy,   instead  of  those  from  the 


LECTURE     THIRD.  47 

Bible,  which  are  mighty  through  God  to  the  pull- 
ing down  of  strong  holds. 

2.  When  the  Bible  was  appealed  to,  its  great 
truths  were  obscured  by  the  mystic  and  allegorical 
methods  of  interpretation  which  were  then  intro- 
duced. Men  were  taught  to  disregard  its  natural 
and  obvious  meaning  and  search  for  that  which 
was  distant,  fanciful,  and  often  absurd.  History 
was  converted  into  fable  and  parable,  laws,  doc- 
trines and  promises  into  types,  and  the  whole  vol- 
ume of  revelation  was  thus  made  a  chaos  of  sha- 
dows. 

3.  The  scriptures  were  farther  set  aside  by  the 
fabrication  of  apocryphal  gospels,  marked  by  ex- 
treme meanness  of  conception,  abounding  in  gross 
errors,  and  adapted  to  lead  to  low  and  false  appre- 
hensions of  the  government  of  God  and  of  the  work 
of  redemption. 

4.  Not  only  the  doctrines  of  theology,  but  the 
ordinances  of  Christ  were  now  perverted.  Justin 
Martyr  held  that  remission  of  sins  was  conferred 
in  baptism  on  those  who  were  already  regenerated. 
Clemens,  Alexandrinus,  Tertullian  and  Origen 
held  that  the  influences  of  the  Spirit,  as  well  as  the 
remission  of  sins,  were  bestowed  in  baptism.  By 
a  large  part  of  the  bishops  it  was  soon  believed 
that  the  ordinance  was  a  spiritually  regenerating 
rite,  and  its  mere  reception  was  thence  made  an 
absolute  ground  of  reliance  for  salvation.  The 
transition  was  (^uite  easy  and  natural  to  the  belief 


48  LECTURE     THIRD. 

and  practice  of  infant  baptism.  If  baptism  be  the 
medium  of  forgiveness  and  salvation,  then  the  un- 
baptized  are  lost.  The  fears  and  affections  of  ten- 
der parents  could  not  long  fail  to  find  a  soothing 
remedy  for  such  an  alternative.  And  the  weakness 
and  delicacy  of  the  subjects  surely  required  the 
least  painful  and  unpleasant  mode  of  applying  the 
baptismal  water.  Hence  in  after  time  originated 
the  change  of  the  action  of  baptism  from  a  burial 
to  the  use  of  a  few  drops  !  Thus  a  mere  sacra- 
mental religion  was  substituted  in  the  place  of  re- 
pentance, faith,  adoration  and  obedience.  The 
church  was  taught  to  look  to  the  minister  instead 
of  the  Spirit  of  God  for  renovation.  And  as  he 
alone  claimed  the  right  of  administering  the  ordi- 
nances, a  foundation  was  laid  for  the  towering 
structure  of  priestly  authority  and  power. 

5.  In  like  manner  the  eucharist  began  at  this 
period  to  be  regarded  as  fraught  with  a  saving  vir- 
tue, its  reception  deemed  an  ample  preparation 
for  death,  and  a  presumptuous  trust  reposed  in  it 
that  led  to  a  neglect  of  personal  holiness.  Men 
would  live  the  most  wicked  lives,  in  the  belief  that 
the  bath  of  regeneration  and  the  consecrated  bread 
and  wine,  received  at  the  eleventh  hour,  would  en- 
title them  to  heaven.  This  misconception  was 
carried  so  far  that  at  last  the  communion  was  given 
to  infants — was  administered  in  all  cases  at  the 
approach  of  death  to  those  under  penance,  though 


LECTURE     THIRD.  49 

they  became  delirious,   and   was   sometimes  even 
placed  in  the  lips  of  the  dead  ! 

6.  In  this  aoje  also  flourished  those  false  ideas  of 
sin  and  holiness  which  led  to  excessive  fasting,  to 
celibacy  and  to  asceticism.  Instead  of  being  taught 
to  restrain  their  appetites  within  the  limits  pre- 
scribed by  the  law  of  God,  the  people  were  made 
to  believe  that  every  impulse  of  hunger,  thirst  or 
desire,  however  irresistible,  was  degrading  and 
sinful,  and  was  to  be  suppressed  by  a  stern  and 
merciless  violence.  Marriage,  the  first  social  in- 
stitution of  the  Almighty,  and  the  most  propitious 
to  all  the  forms  of  virtue  towards  men  and  piety  to 
God,  was  denounced  as  merely  sensual  and  sinful. 
Men  withdrew  from  the  spheres  of  usefulness  to 
which  Providence  had  as.signed  them,  disowned 
all  the  social  and  domestic  virtues,  retired  into 
solitudes,  and  struggled  by  starvation,  self-torture 
and  watchfulness,  to  annihilate  their  passions  and 
to  render  themselves  incorporeal  beings.  Paul  of 
Thebais,  (A.  D.  200,)  lived  sixty  years  in  a  soli- 
tary cave.  Anthony,  of  Lower  Egypt,  continued 
nearly  seventy  years  in  the  most  perfect  seclusion. 
These  examples  became  infectious.  Then  started 
up  monasteries  and  nunneries,  with  their  long  and 
gloomy  train  of  crime  and  superstition.  And  all 
this  was  dignified  with  the  name  of  religion. 

By  these  mctliods  the  jjiofessed  teachers  of  the 
church    verified    the    prophecy   and    occfjsioned   a 
destitution  of  the  means  of  spiritual  life  similar 
6 


50  LECTURE     THIRD. 

to  the  dearth  of  bread  produced  by  oppressive  tax- 
ation. 

And  when  he  had  opened  fho  fourth  seal,  1  heard  the  voice  of  the 
fourth  beast  say,  Come  and  see.  And  I  looked,  and  behold  a  pale 
horse  :  and  his  name  that  sat  on  him  was  Death,  and  bell  followed 
with  liiin.  And  j)Ower  was  given  unto  them  over  the  fourth  part  of 
the  earth,  to  kill  with  sword,  and  with  hunger,  and  with  death,  and 
with  the  beasts  of  the  earth.— vi :  7,  8. 

Tlie  agencies  of  the  preceding  horsemen  wore 
employed  chiefly  in  varying  the  conditions  of  life. 
The  office  of  this  is  to  kill,  and  his  name  is  for  that 
reason  Death.  This  character  is  indicated  also  by 
the  "  pale  horse,"  and  by  his  attendant  the  grave, 
which  a^n? — here  translated  hell — undoubtedly  de- 
notes. His  instruments  of  destruction  are  also 
mentioned.  He  kills  with  the  "  sioord,"  i.  e.,  by 
violence;  and  with  ^^ famine,"  that  is,  by  op- 
pressive taxation,  producing  poverty ;  and  with 
^^  death,"  i.  e.,  by  tainting  the  air  with  pestilence 
resulting  in  death  ;  and  by  "  twYcZ  beasts,"  i.  e  , 
the  ferocious  agents  that  he  employs  to  execute  his 
will.  This  symbol  again  describes  a  series  of 
agents  in  the  religious  world.  As  death  kills  the 
body,  80  an  apostate  religion  murders  the  soul. 
And  the  teachers  of  that  religion  accomplish  this 
object  by  breathing  from  their  lips  the  pestilence  of 
false  doctrine,  by  causing  a  famine  of  the  bread  of 
life,  by  wielding  the  sword  of  ecclesiastical  au- 
thority, and  by  an  alliance  with  civil  rulers,  whose 
tyrannical  power  likened  them  to  the  wild  beasts 
of  the  earth.     All  these  peculiarities  meet  in  the 


LECTURE     THIRD.  51 

archbishops  and  other  superior  prelates  of  the 
fourth  and  following  ages,  and  especially  in  the 
patriarchs  of  the  Greek  and  the  popes  of  the  Roman 
church. 

1.  They  breathed  a  pestilence  of  false  doctrine, 
which  infected  the  whole  body  of  the  church  and 
carried  spiritual  death  to  thousands.  Some  of  these 
false  doctrines  were  such  as  the  following : — That 
the  relics  of  the  apostles,  prophets  and  martyrs 
possessed  miraculous  virtues — tliat  cliurches  erected 
over  their  graves  and  dedicated  to  their  memory, 
rendered  worshippers  peculiarly  acceptable  to  God 
— tliat  the  spirits  of  the  holy  dead  could  intercede 
in  our  behalf  on  high,  and  were,  therefore,  the  ap- 
propriate objects  of  our  prayers — tliat  the  bread 
and  wine  used  in  the  eucharist  were  transformed 
into  the  real  body  and  blood  of  Christ — that  there 
was  a  real  sacrifice  for  sin  repeated  at  every  com- 
munion— that  the  officiating  minister,  therefore, 
became  a  priest,  and  that  the  elements  were  fit  to 
receive  adoration — that  the  images  of  the  saints 
might  be  safely  and  ])rofitably  worshipped — that 
prayers  were  needful  for  tlie  dead,  so  tliat  they 
might  esca[)e  purgatorial  fire  and  be  atlmitted  at 
once  into  paradise — that  the  creature  could  not 
only  work  out  a  righteousness  ade(|uale  to  the  de- 
mands of  the  law,  but  doing  more  than  was  re- 
quired, could  transfer  a  portion  of  his  merit  to  tlio 
benefit  of  his  fellow  creatures — that  the  priests 
could  absolve  the  penitent  confessor  from  the  guilt 


52  LECTURE    TUIRD. 

and  the  punishment  of  sin,  and  to  finish  the  climax 
of  absurJity  and  Lhispliemy,  that  they  coiikl  even 
grant  indulgence  to  commit  future  sins  without 
liability  to  punishment!  Millions  of  money  have 
been  paid  by  deluded  souls  for  the  privilege  of  sin- 
ning with  impunity  !  And  catalogues  of  crimes 
were  even  published,  with  the  price  of  indulgence 
for  each  crime  annexed^  to  pr;jvent  exorbitant 
charges ! 

2.  As  death  by  the  sword  in  distinction  from 
fixmine  and  disease,  is  a  death  by  violence,  so  a  re- 
sembling spiritual  death  must  be  by  an  analogous 
violence^  in  distinction  from  a  deprivation  of  know- 
ledge symbolized  by  famine,  or  an  infusion  of  false 
doctrine  denoted  by  pestilence.  As  when  a  fatal 
wound  is  inflicted  by  the  sword,  the  body  by  its 
own  constitution  works  an  immediate  death  by  the 
expulsion  of  the  blood,  so  the  wound  that  produces 
spiritual  death  must  be  such  that  the  subject  of  it 
works  his  destruction  by  rejecting  the  means  of 
life — not  by  being  deprived  of  spiritual  sustenance 
on  the  one  hand  and  inhaling  a  pest  on  the  other. 
And  such  is  a  compulsory  apostacy,  or  abjuration 
of  essential  truth  at  the  dictation  of  authority.  Its 
effect  on  the  soul  is  like  that  of  a  deadly  wound  on 
the  body.  Every  act  under  it  is  a  rejection  of  God 
and  his  t^alvation,  and  i)recipitates  the  soul  into  a 
more  inevitable  and  speedy  death.  And  the  great 
chief's  of  the  hierarchies  have  inflicted  death  in  this 
manner  on  a  large  scale.     The   i)ersuasion    that 


LECTURE    THIRD.  53 

bishops  have  legislative  authority  over  the  faith 
and  worship  of  the  church,  and  tliat  the  pope  is 
the  vicar  of  Christ  and  of  absolute  power  to  deter- 
mine doctrines  and  rites,  phiced  the  Greek  and 
Roman  communions  at  the  will  of  the  great  pre- 
lates of  those  churches.  Authority  has  been  the 
great  sword  by  which  they  have,  at  every  period, 
struck  down  the  objections  of  reason,  awed  con- 
science into  silence,  and  pierced  the  ca[)tive  and 
helpless  soul  with  a  deadly  wound. 

3.  Their  agency  is  also  symbolized  by  famine, 
because  like  the  third  horseman  they  continued  to 
withhold  the  great  doctrines  of  the  gospel — the 
aliment  of  the  soul — from  the  people.  1  will  only 
add  to  what  was  said  when  expounding  the  third 
seal — that  this  famine  was  kept  up  by  denying  the 
Scriptures  to  the  people.  For  long  ages  the  Bible 
was  not  allowed  to  be  translated  into  the  dialects 
spoken  by  the  various  nations  who  embraced  Chris- 
tianity. Public  worship  was  conducted  and  in- 
struction given  in  Latin,  which  soon  became  un- 
known not  onl}^  to  the  peoi)le  at  large,  but  also  to 
many  of  the  clergy^  and  the  great  essentials  of 
Christianity  were  as  coniplctely  swept  from  the 
knowledge  of  the  multitude  as  if  they  had  never 
been  revealed. 

4.  They  employed,  in  Ihis  work  of  destruction, 
the  civil  rulers  of  tlic  ancient  and  modern  empire, 
symbolized  by  the  wild  beasts  of  the  earth.  Since 
the  days  of  Constantiue,   the  church  has  been,  in 


54  LECTURE    THIRD. 

all  Catholic  countries,  leagued  witli  the  State,  and 
has  used  the  civil  authorities  to  inflict  its  cruel 
anathemas.  As  we  shall  dwell  on  this  in  future, 
we  will  no'  now  enlarge. 

Power  was  given  to  this  destroyer  over  a  fourth 
part  of  the  earth,  hy  which  is  meant  the  Roman 
Empire.  This  is  called  the  fourth  part,  because 
in  Daniel  the  civil  history  of  the  world  is  spoken 
of  under  four  grand  divisions — Babylonian,  Medo- 
Persian,  Grecian,  and  Roman — the  last  being  here 
particularly  alluded  to. 

And  when  he  had  opened  the  fifth  seal,  I  saw  under  the  altar  the 
souls  of  them  that  were  slain  for  the  word  of  God,  and  for  the  testi- 
mony which  they  held  :  and  they  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying,  How 
long,  0  Lord,  holy  and  true,  dost  thou  not  judge  and  avenge  our  blood 
on  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth?  And  white  robes  were  given  unto 
every  one  of  them  ;  and  it  was  said  unto  them,  that  they  should  rest 
yet  for  a  little  season,  until  their  fellow  servants  also  and  their  breth- 
ren, that  should  be  killed  as  they  icere,  should  be  fulfilled. — vi  :  9-11. 

During  the  preceding  ages  God  had  always  pre- 
served a  pure  church  and  a  chosen  people  on  earth. 
Many  of  them  had  laid  down  their  lives  in  testi- 
mony to  the  truth.  It  was  very  apparent  that 
agencies  were  still  operating  that  would  result  in 
the  martyrdom  of  many  more  then  living,  and  of 
many  yet  to  live  on  earth.  This  vision  seems  to 
be  designed  to  encourage  those  against  whom  the 
heathen  or  papal  fury  should  still  be  directed. 
John  saw  under  the  altar  the  disembodied  souls  of 
those  who  had  been  slain  for  the  word  of  God  and 
for  the  testimony  of  Jesus.     Unlike  the  agents  de- 


LECTURE    THIRD.  55 

noted  by  the  symLols  of  the  foregoing  seals,  these 
martyr-souls  are  exhibited  in  their  own  persons^  and 
obviously  because  no  other  beings  could  serve  as 
their  symbol.  No  creature  on  earth  could  present 
to  them  any  analogy  on  which  their  symbolization 
could  be  founded.  They  are  stationed  under  the 
altar,  or  at  its  foot,  as  a  symbol  of  the  cross,  the 
instrument  on  which  the  expiation  had  been  made 
which  was  the  ground  of  their  trust.  As  the  fire 
burned  on  the  altar,  so  the  fire  of  God's  justice 
had  burned  on  the  cross.  There  his  rights  had 
been  vindicated — his  truth  and  rectitude  main- 
tained. The  design  of  the  altar,  then,  was  to  ex- 
hibit them  as  believers  in  Christ,  having  relied  on 
his  sacrifice  for  justification,  and  now  appealing 
through  it  to  his  faithfulness  for  a  redress  of  their 
wrongs.  Their  cry  implies  an  expectation,  found- 
ed on  a  promise,  that  he  would  interpose  and  de- 
stroy those  wlio  were  slaughtering  his  people, 
that  a  long  period  had  intervened  since  the  utter- 
ance of  that  promise,  and  that  liis  truth  and  right- 
eousness were  concerned  in  its  fulfilment.  Tliey 
were  not,  tlierefure,  impatient  under  sufferings,  or 
resentful  against  their  persecutors,  but  cherished  a 
regard  for  the  word  and  glory  of  the  Redeemer, 
whose  victory  cannot  be  completed  till  his  promises 
be  fulfilled.  The  period  of  uttering  tlie  cry  was 
that  between  tlieir  death  and  their  jtublic  accept- 
ance, in  token  of  wliich  white  robes  were  given  to 
them.     Their  wonder  at  the  delay  of  the  promise 


56  LECTUREXniRD. 

was  excited  by  tlie  vision  of  the  incarnate  Deity, 
by  their  loftier  sense,  thus  acquired,  of  the  sanctity 
of  his  rights — of  his  power  to  accomplish  his  pur- 
poses— of  his  forbearance  towards  his  foes — of  the 
greatness  of  his  love  to  his  people,  and  of  the  glory 
of  the  salvation  to  which   he  exalts  them.     They 
also  felt  a  pity  and  love  for  those  whom  they  had 
left  exposed  to  the  sufferings  of  persecution,  and  a 
desire  that  their  sufferings  should  terminate.     The 
form  in  which  they  uttered  their  surprise  at  his 
delay,  is  eminently  beautiful,  becoming  beings  for 
the   first   time   approaching   his  visible  presence, 
meeting  his  smile,  beholding  his  dazzling  majesty, 
and  realizing   the   splendors  of  the  existence  to 
which  he  raises  his  redeemed.     It  exhibits  them 
as  entering  his  presence  with  a  profound  interest 
in  his  glory,  a  fervent  desire   to  understand  his 
ways,  confidence  in  his  rectitude,  and  a  sense  that 
the  new  and  immortal  career  on  which   they  had 
enter,ed  is  to  owe  its  beauty  and  blessedness  to  the 
accomplishment  of  his  purposes.     The   gift  of  a 
white  robe  to  each  of  tliem,  denotes  that  they  were 
formally  accepted,  and  adjudged  to  the  inheritance 
of  life — a  white  robe  being  the  symbol  of  justifica- 
tion.    The   response   to   their   appeal,    that   they 
should  rest  yet  for  a  short  time  till  their  brethren, 
who  were  to  be  killed  also,  were  completed,  indi- 
cates a  great  and  blissful  change  in  Christ's  ad- 
ministration over  the  world,  when  he  should  de- 
scend to  vindicate  their  blood — that  that  change 


LECTURETHIRD.  57 

was  to  take  place  as  soon  as  the  number  of  martyrs 
was  completed,  and  that  the  period  to  intervene 
was  but  short,  in  comparison  with  the  length  of 
the  persecutions  that  were  past.  The  vision  con- 
tains no  statement  as  to  the  period  to  which  it  be- 
longs. It  was  probably  towards  the  close  of  the 
Reformation,  in  the  sixteenth  century. 

And  I  beheld  when  he  had  opened  the  sixth  seal,  and,  lo,  there  was 
a  great  earthquake ;  and  the  sun  became  black  as  sack-cloth  of  hair, 
and  the  moon  became  as  blood  ;  and  the  stars  of  heaven  fell  unto  the 
earth,  even  as  a  fig  tree  casteth  her  untimely  figs,  when  she  is  shaken 
of  a  mighty  wind ;  and  the  heaven  departed  as  a  scroll  when  it  is 
rolled  together ;  and  every  mountain  and  island  were  moved  out  of 
their  places.  And  the  kings  of  the  earth,  and  the  great  men,  and  the 
rich  men,  and  the  chief  captains,  and  the  mighty  men,  and  every  bond 
man,  and  every  free  man,  hid  themselves  in  the  dens  and  in  the  rocks 
of  the  mountains;  and  said  to  the  mountains  and  rocks,  Fall  on  us, 
and  hide  us  from  the  face  of  him  that  sitteth  on  the  throne,  and  from 
the  wrath  of  the  Lamb  :  for  the  great  day  of  his  wrath  is  come;  and 
who  shall  be  able  to  stand  ? — vi  :  12-17. 

The  symbols  of  this  seal  represent  a  succession 
of  violent  and  disastrous  changes  in  the  political 
world,  ending  at  length  in  the  dissolution  of  all 
forms  of  civil  government.  The  eartlujuake  de- 
notes a  violent  commotion  in  the  subjects  of  gov- 
ernment, by  which  they  are  thrown  out  of  their 
former  position,  into  new  relations — the  high 
brought  low — the  obscure  raised  to  stations  of  in- 
fluence, and  confusion  and  violence  spread  througii 
every  scene.  The  conversion  of  tlie  sun  into  the 
color  of  sack-clotli,  and  of  the  moon  into  Idood, 
represents  a  change  in   the  civil   rulers,  (thus  sud- 


58  LECTURE     THI 11  D. 

denl}' raised  to  power,)  from  the  beneficent  influ- 
ence which  they  shouhl  exert,  to  oppression — to  a 
hiwless  viohition  of  the  rights,  clevustation  of  the 
I)roperty,  and  destruction  of  the  happiness  of  their 
suhjec!s.  Then  follows  the  precipitation  of  tliese 
oppre.vsors  from  their  stations  to  a  level  with  the 
multitude,  symbolized  by  (he  fall  of  stars  to  the 
eartli,  like  the  dejection  of  unripe  figs  from  a  tree 
shaken  by  the  wind.  Next,  a  total  dissolution  of 
government  and  obliteration  of  all  political  dis- 
tinctions, indicated  b}''  the  passing  away  of  the 
heavens,  and  tlie  removal  of  the  mountains  and 
islands  out  of  their  places  ;  and  lastly,  the  con- 
summation of  the  catastrophe  by  the  visible  advent 
of  the  Redeemer  to  judge  his  enemies,  to  accept 
his  people,  to  take  possession  of  the  earth,  and  to 
commence  his  millenial  reign.  This  is  shown  by 
the  terror  of  the  kings  and  their  subjects,  their 
retreat  from  the  splendors  of  his  presence  to  dens 
and  caves,  and  their  cry  to  the  rocks  and  moun- 
tains to  hide  them  from  his  wrath.  This  is  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  symbol  of  the  seventh  trumpet, 
and  with  the  Saviour's  prediction,  (Mat.  24  :  29,) 
that  his  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven,  with 
power  and  great  glory,  is  to  follow  a  darkening  of 
the  sun  and  moon  and  a  fall  of  the  stars. 

We  must  not  suppose,  however,  that  all  these 
events  will  take  place  together,  or  within  a  brief 
period.  They  must  naturally  occupy  a  long  series 
of  years.     Political  convulsions,  and  the  change  of 


LECTURE     THIRD.  59 

rulers  from  justice  to  oppression,  indicated  by  the 
earthquake  and  the  color  of  the  sun  and  moon,  re- 
quire a  long  period.  It  is  subsequently  that  the 
fall  of  the  stars  takes  place,  by  which  the  dejection 
of  rulers  symbolized.  The  final  disappearance  of 
the  heavens,  the  removal  of  mountains  and  isl- 
ands, and  the  promiscuous  flight  of  rulers  and 
subjects  from  the  presence  of  the  Lamb,  are  to  fol- 
low at  a  still  later  period. 

The  first  three  of  these  great  events  have  prob- 
ably already  taken  ])lace.  If  so,  the  first,-  the 
earth(}uake,  symbolized  the  revolution  in  France, 
extending  from  tlie  beginning  of  that  political  agi- 
tation to  the  fall  of  the  ancient  government.  The 
second  (the  sun  being  darkened  and  moon  becoming 
as  blood)  represented  the  change  of  the  new  gov- 
ernment into  a  despotism,  and  its  exercise,  through 
a  series  of  year's,  of  a  violent  tyranny.  The  third, 
(the  fall  of  the  stars,)  the  overthrow  of  that  op- 
pressive dynasty,  at  the  fiall  of  Bonaparte  in  1815, 
and  of  Louis  Philipjjc  in  1848.  Between  that  fall 
and  tlie  final  subversion  of  the  governments  of  the 
earth,  denoted  by  the  passing  away  of  the  heav- 
ens, the  sealing  of  the  servants  of  God,  symbol- 
ized in  the  next  vision,  is  to  tjike  place.  Then 
will  follow  the  annihilation  of  civil  governments — 
the  visible  advent  of  the  Son  of  God — the  resur- 
rection of  the  holy  dead — the  confinement  of  Satan 
in  the  abyss,  and  tlie  reign  of  the  risen  saints  on 
earth  with  Christ  during  the  i)eriod  designated  by 
the  thousand  years.     See  Ist  Thes,  4  :  16,  17. 


LECTUKE   FOURTH. 


REVELATIONS   CHAPTERS  VII.,  VIII :  1-11. 

And  after  these  things  I  saw  four  anjjels  standing  on  the  four  cor- 
ners of  the  earth,  holding  the  four  winds  of  the  earth,  that  the  wind 
should  not  blow  on  the  earth,  nor  on  the  sea,  nor  on  any  tree.  And  I 
saw  another  angel  ascending  from  the  east,  having  the  seal  of  the  liv- 
ing God  :  and  he  cried  w^ith  a  loud  voice  to  the  four  angels,  to  whom 
it  was  given  to  hurt  the  earth  and  the  sea,  saying,  Hurt  not  the  earth, 
neither  the  sea,  nor  the  trees,  till  we  have  sealed  the  servants  of  our 
God  in  their  foreheads.  And  I  heard  the  number  of  them  which  were 
sealed  :  and  there  were  sealed  a  hundred  and  forty  and  four  thousand 
of  all  the  tribes  of  the  childen  of  Israel.  Of  the  tribe  of  Judah  irere 
sealed  twelve  thousand.  Of  the  tribe  of  lleuben  were  sealed  twelve 
thousand.  Of  the  tribe  of  Gad  were  sealed  twelve  thousand.  Of  the 
tribe  of  Aser  were  sealed  twelve  thousand.  Of  the  ti'ibe  of  Nepthalim 
were  sealed  twelve  thousand.  Of  tbe  tribe  of  Manasseh  were  sealed 
twelve  thousand.  Of  the  tribe  of  Simeon  were  sealed  twelve  thousand. 
Of  the  tribe  of  Levi  were  sealed  tw^elve  thousand.  Of  the  tribe  of 
Issachar  were  sealed  twelve  thousand.  Of  the  tribe  of  Zebulun  ivere 
sealed  twelve  thousand.  Of  the  tribe  of  Joseph  were  sealed  twelve 
thousand.  Of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin  irere  sealed  tweUe  thousand. — 
Jiev.  7  :  1-8. 

The  four  winds  denote  all  the  winds,  and  the 
four  angels,  all  the  powers  that  excite  and  direct 
their  violence.  They  are  obviously  tempestuous 
winds,  which,  when  roused,  are  to  sweep  land  and 
sea,  and  spread  them  with  desolation.  The  pecu- 
liar ofBce  of  the  angels  is,  not  to  restrain  them, 


LECTURE    FOURTH.  61 

but  to  excite  and  direct  tlieir  violence — not  to 
make 'them  salutary,  but  the  instruments  of  uni- 
versal devastation.  The  restraint  from  injuring 
with  them  till  the  servants  of  God  can  be  sealed, 
is  a  restraint,  accordingly,  from  entering  on  their 
official  work  till  that  sealing  can  be  accomplished. 
What,  then,  are  these  symbolic  winds?  What  is 
there  that  sweeps  over  the  great  surface  of  the  so- 
cial and  political  world  with  a  power  analogous  to 
wasting  whirlwinds  ?  The  answer  is,  combina- 
tions and  masses  of  men,  under  the  influence  of 
new  and  exciting  opinions — multitudes  roused  to 
passion,  uniting  to  destroy  social  and  political  in- 
stitutions, and  to  overwhelm  those  that  obstruct 
their  designs.  And  who  are  the  angels  that 
arouse  those  tempestuous  blasts  ?  The  authors 
and  propagators  of  those  opinions — the  fomenters 
and  directors  of  the  violence  to  which  they  excite 
men.  That  they  are  not  to  enter  on  their  work 
till  the  angel  from  the  sun-rising  can  seal  the  ser- 
vants of  God,  implies  that  though  the  elements  of 
destruction  are  already  in  existence,  yet  their  be- 
ing blown  into  a  Avhirlwind^  is  to  be  a  consequence, 
in  some  manner,  of  that  sealing.  It  is  by  that 
process  that  the  religious  and  political  atmosphere 
is  to  be  brought  into  the  requisite  state  for  the 
generation  of  tlic  desolating  tempest.  No  descrip- 
tion is  given  of  the  figure  of  the  four  angels,  on 
account  of  the  extreme  distance  of  their  station. 
To  seal  the  servants  of  God,  is  not  to  constitute 
6 


62  LECTURE    FOURTH. 

them  such,  but  to  fix  a  mark  on  their  brows  by 
which  they  are  conspicuously  shown  to  be  his. 
It  is  as  his  servants,  not  as  his  enemies,  that  they 
are  sealed,  and  the  change  wrought  by  their  seal- 
ing is  not  in  their  character,  but  in  their  aspect. 
The  symbol  denotes,  therefore,  that  the  servants  of 
God,  ere  the  whirlwind  of  ruin  begins,  are  to  be 
led  to  assume  a  new  attitude  towards  the  apostate 
church  and  the  usurping  civil  rulers,  by  which, 
and  in  a  manner  never  before  seen,  they  are  to  be 
shown  to  be  indubitably  his  true  people.  What 
that  relation  is  to  be,  is  revealed  in  a  subsequent 
vision,  in  which  their  characters  are  described  as 
opposite  to  those  of  the  apostate  church.  They 
are  virgins,  i.  e.,  not  seduced  by  the  great  harlot 
of  Babylon  to  worship  the  beast  or  its  image,  as  do 
apostates.  They  are  followers  of  the  Lamb,  wher- 
ever he  may  go — not  of  the  wild  beast  or  false 
prophet.  They  are  without  guile,  and  without 
spot,  not  like  those  whose  religion  adds  to  their 
guilt.  The  sealing,  therefore,  is  to  be  a  pulDlic 
and  formal  dissent  from  the  legalized  hierarchies 
of  the  earth — a  renunciation  of  the  dominion  over 
the  people  of  God  which  they  have  assumed — a 
testimony  against  it  as  an  arrogation  of  authority 
over  the  laws  of  God.  The  angel  who  bears  the 
seal  represents  those  who  excite  and  conduct  this 
separation  and  testimony  ;  and  their  agency,  we 
shall  see,  is  to  precede  the  slaughter  of  the  wit- 
nesses and  the  fall  of  great  Babylon.     The  tribes 


LECTURE     FOURTH.  63 

denote  the  denominations  of  the  cliurcli.  As  the 
twelve  tribes  were  all  the  divisions  of  the  ancient 
church,  they  represent  all  the  branches  of  the 
Christian  profession  that  contain  the  true  servants 
of  God.  This  movement,  therefore,  is  not  to  be 
confined  to  one  denomination,  but  is  to  be  extend- 
ed to  all  that  contain  true  worshippers.  The  pre- 
cision of  the  number  indicates  a  limitation,  per- 
haps, rather  than  a  universality  of  the  sealing; — 
that  a  part,  only — not  tliat  all  the  servants  of  God 
are  to  share  in  this  movement.  This  is  shown, 
also,  by  the  summons  of  his  people  to  come  out  of 
Babylon  after  the  slaughter  and  resurrection  of 
the  witnesses,  and  after  her  fall.  The  sealed  and 
the  witnesses  are  undoubtedly  the  same. 

No  body  of  believers  has  ever  yet  assumed  an 
attitude  towards  God  and  the  nationalized  church 
which  is  represented  by  this  sealing.  This  proph- 
ecy is,  therefore,  yet  to  be  fulfilled.  The  great 
and  palpable  fact,  that  to  establisli  a  church  by 
law,  and  to  dictate  its  faith  and  worsliip,  is  not 
only  to  usurp  the  prerogatives  of  God,  but  to  as- 
sert a  dominion  over  his  rights  and  laws,  has  never 
been  fully  discussed  and  proclaimed.  The  ground 
on  whicli  religious  toleration  has  been  urged  has 
ever  been,  that  compulsion  is  a  violation  of  the 
rights  of  conscience,  not  that  it  is  an  arrogjktion  of 
dominion  over  the  prerogatives  and  laws  of  the 
Ahniglity.  But  such  it  really  is.  When  civil 
rulers  nationalize  a  church,  tliey  assume  the  right 


64  LECTURE    FOURTU. 

of  determining  Avhat  the  faith  and  homage  of  their 
subjects  shall  be.  They  appoint  a  creed — they  en- 
join a  worship — they  prohibit  all  others.  They 
offer  their  will  as  a  reason  why  that  creed  should 
be  held  and  that  worship  offered,  and  they  treat 
dissent  as  a  violation  of  their  rights,  and  punish  it 
as  a  crime.  They  thence  clearly  assume  that  the 
laws  which  God  imposes  on  their  subjects  are  un- 
der their  dominion.  They  arrogate  a  jurisdiction 
over  the  duties  which  their  subjects  owe  to  Him, 
and  thence  over  his  right  to  their  obedience  and 
homage.  They  thus  enjoin  and  compel  a  homage 
to  themselves  that  is  due  only  to  Him.  This  is  the 
relation,  accordingly,  in  which  their  usurpation  is 
exhibited  in  this  prophecy.  Those  who  approve 
and  support  their  legislation  over  the  doctrines  of 
the  gospel,  are  called  the  worshippers  of  the  wild 
beast,  and  they  who  assent  to  a  similar  usurpation 
by  papal  ecclesiastics,  are  said  to  worship  the  image 
of  the  wild  beast.  Civil  rulers  enjoin  either  a 
right  or  a  wrong  worship.  If  they  enjoin  a  wrong 
worship,  i.  e.,  a  different  religion  from  that  which 
God  has  instituted,  they  clearly  assume  the  power 
of  rescinding  his  laws  and  substituting  their  own. 
If  tliey  enjoin  a  right  worship,  i.  e.,  the  same  that 
God  appoints,  they  thrust  themselves  between  God 
and  hi^ creatures,  and  affect  to  make  his  laws  bind- 
ing because  they  enjoin  them.  Whether,  therefore, 
the  state-church  hold  false  doctrine  or  true,  it  is 
an  impious  assumption  of  the  divine  throne  for  any 


LECTURE    FOURTH.  CS' 

civil  authority  to  establisli  religion  by  law.  But 
this  principle  has  never  been  prominently  asserted 
by  any  community,  as  it  will  be  by  the  sealed. 
The  advocates  of  toleration  have  all  taken  lower 
ground.  Oue  says,  no  doctrine  or  worship  should 
be  imposed  but  such  as  God  has  enjoined — as  if 
his  injunction  were  not  sufficient:  another,  that 
such  imposition  is  a  violation  of  the  rights  of  the 
citizen — not  that  it  is  an  arrogation  of  divine 
rights.  And  even  the  English  Dissenters  hare 
not  opposed  the  principle  of  an  establishment,  so 
much  as  the  rites  and  ceremonies  which  the  legis- 
lature have  imposed. 

The  scaling  of  the  servants  of  God,  then,  is  not 
a  symbol  of  their  conversion  or  of  their  preserva- 
tion from  the  blast  of  the  tempest,  but  of  their 
more  public  testimony  to  the  great  truth  that 
Christ  is  the  only  King  and  Laicgiuer  of  the  church, 
and  that  all  national  churches  are  lilasphenious  as- 
sumptions of  his  throne. 

After  this  I  briiold,  and  lo,  a  preat  multitude,  which  no  raan  could 
number,  of  all  nations,  and  kindred,  and  j)cople,  and  tongues,  stood 
before  the  throne,  ^and  before  the  Lamb,  clothed  in  white  robes,  and 
palms  in  their  hands;  and  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying,  Salvation 
to  our  God  which  eitteth  upon  the  throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb.  And 
all  the  angels  stood  round  about  tlic  throne,  and  about  the  elders  and 
the  four  beasta,  and  fell  before  the  throne  on  their  faces,  and  worship- 
ped God,  saying.  Amen:  IJleMsing,  and  glory,  and  wisdom,  and 
thankngiving,  and  honor,  and  [tower,  and  iiiiglil,  be  unto  our  God  for 
ever  and  ever.  Amen.  And  one  of  the  elders  answered,  saying  unto 
mc,  What  are  thenc  which  are  arrayed  in  white  robes?  and  whence 
came  they?  And  I  said  unto  him,  Sir,  thou  knowest.  And  ho  said  to 
me,   These  are  tbcy  which  came  out  of  great  tribulation,  and  have 


66  LECTUREFOURTH. 

washed  their  robes  and  made  them  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Larab. 
Therefore  are  they  before  the  throne  of  God,  and  serve  him  day  and 
night  in  bis  temple:  and  he  that  sitteth  on  the  throne  shall  dwell 
among  them.  They  shall  hunger  no  more,  neither  thirst  anymore; 
seither  shall  the  sun  light  on  them,  nor  any  heat.  For  the  Lamb 
which  is  in  the  midst  of  the  throne  shall  feed  them,  and  shall  lead  them 
onto  living  fountains  of  waters  :  and  God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears 
from  their  eyes. — vii :  9-17. 

The  scene  of  this  vision  is  the  divine  presence. 
The  countless  multitude  stand  before  the  throne  of 
God  and  the  Lamb,  and  are  the  redeemed  raised 
from  the  dead,,  publicly  accepted  and  exalted  to 
the  station  of  heirs  of  God  and  joint  heirs  with 
Christ  in  his  kingdom.  They  are  clothed  in  white 
robes,  implying  their  justification.  They  have 
palm  branches  in  their  hands — the  emblems  of  joy 
on  account  of  victory.  They  ascribe  their  salvation 
to  God  and  to  the  Lamb,  which  shows  that  it  is 
accomplished.  They  are  come  out  of  great  tribu- 
lation, which  implies  that  their  trials  and  their 
sufferings  have  reached  their  close.  Their  sancti- 
fication  is  also  completed.  They  have  washed 
their  robes  and  cleansed  them  in  the  blood  of  the 
Lamb.  They  are,  therefore,  exalted  to  stations  in 
the  presence  of  God  and  to  the  honors  and  joys  of 
an  eternal  service  in  his  kingdom.  He  that  sits 
on  the  throne  is  to  dwell  in  a  tent  among  them. 
They  are  never  more  to  feel  sorrow  or  suffering, 
but  the  Lamb  is  to  guide  them  as  a  shei)herd,  and 
to  lead  them  to  the  fountains  of  the  waters  of  life. 
That  these  beings  had  been  raised  from  the  dead  is 
evident  from  the  fact  that  their  salvation  was  com- 


LECTURE    FOURTH.  6*7 

plete — a  statement  that  could  not  be  made  if  their 
bodies  remained  nnransomed  from  the  curse  of  sin. 
How  interesting,  then,  was  that  multitude !  What 
an  elevation  of  nature,  what  a  grandeur  of  intelli- 
gence, what  a  beauty  of  affection  do  they  exhibit ! 
How  vast  a  change  from  the  sins,  the  conflicts,  the 
miseries  of  their  })revious  life — from  the  agonies  of 
death  and  the  darkness  and  ruin  of  the  grave  to 
which  they  had  been  doomed  !  How  grand,  too, 
is  the  homage  of  the  angelic  hosts  !  They  behold 
and  justify  the  acceptance  of  the  redeemed,  and 
while  they  perceive  the  beauty  and  greatness  of 
their  salvation,  they  ascribe  it  all  to  the  might, 
and  wisdom,  and  love  of  the  Redeemer.  Their 
homage  im}>lie8  that  the  redemption  of  the  innu- 
merable throng  is  finished — that  they  understand 
the  arrangements  by  wliich  it  has  been  effected, 
and  that  its  infinite  glories  will  excite  the  wonder, 
admiration  and  joy  of  eternal  ages. 

And  when  he  had  opened  the  seventh  seal,  there  was  silence  in  hea- 
ven about  the  sjiacc  of  half  an  hour.  And  I  saw  the  seven  angels 
which  stood  before  God ;  and  to  tliuiii  were  given  seven  trumpets.  And 
another  angel  came  and  stood  at  the  altar,  having  a  golden  censer  ; 
and  there  was  given  unto  liiin  much  incense,  that  he  should  odor  it 
with  the  prayers  of  all  saints  upon  the  golden  altar  wliich  was  before 
the  throne.  And  the  smoke  of  the  incense,  which  came  with  the 
prayers  of  the  Kainls,  ascended  up  before  (Jod  out  of  the  angel's  hand. 
And  the  angel  took  the  censer,  and  filled  it  with  lire  of  the  altar,  and 
cast  it  into  the  earth  :  and  there  were  voices,  and  thundcrings,  and 
lightnings,  and  an  carliiquake. — viii :  1-5. 

Having  fini.slied  one  series  of  proidiccies   that 
extended  down  to  the  era  of  tbe  resurrection  of  tlio 


68  LECTURE     FOURTH. 

holy  dead  and  their  final  accqitance,  the  Apostle 
now  begins  a  new  series,  without,  however,  a  for- 
mal announcement.  This  series  goes  back  and 
foreshadows  events  from  the  early  period  of  the 
Christian  era  to  its  termination.  The  silence  in 
the  heaven  of  the  divine  presence  was  doubtless 
symbolic,  as  well  as  the  agents  and  acts  that  fol- 
lowed. It  was  a  period  of  thoughtful ness,  of  awe, 
and  of  expectancy — denoting  that  ere  the  great 
judgments  about  to  be  symbolized  were  to  be  in- 
flicted, the  worshippers  in  heaven  were  to  be  called 
by  contemplation,  submission  and  faith,  to  a  pre- 
paration for  the  displays  of  justice  which  they  were 
to  witness.  It  implies  also  that  during  a  short 
period  no  new  agents  were  to  go  forth  to  work  im- 
portant changes  in  the  world,  and  that  there  should 
be  a  brief  space  of  tranquility  compared  with  that 
which  had  preceded  and  was  to  follow — a  space 
marked  in  a  preeminent  degree  by  fervent  suppli- 
cations of  the  church  for  deliverance  from  the 
power  of  a  persecuting  government.  The  period 
on  earth  corresponding  with  that  silence  was  prob- 
ably that  of  repose  between  the  close  of  the  perse- 
cution by  Diocletian  and  Galerius  in  311,  and  the 
commencement,  near  the  close  of  that  year,  of  the 
civil  wars  by  which  Constantino  the  Great  was 
raised  to  tlie  imperial  throne.  That  period  was 
marked  by  impassioned  desires  and  hopes  of  the 
church  for  the  elevation  to  power  of  a  Christian 
prince  who  should  free  it  from  persecution. 


LECTUREFOURTH.  69 

The  seven  angels,  though  tliey  a})pear  immedi- 
ately after  the  silence  and  receive  their  trumpets, 
do  not  enter  on  their  office  until  the  prayers  of  the 
saints  have  been  offered  and  answered  by  a  tempest 
and  an  earthquake  in  the  empire.  This  denotes  that 
the  events  symbolized  by  their  agency  could  not 
take  place  until  those  supplications  had  received 
an  answer.  You  will  understand  the  action  of  tlie 
angel  with  the  golden  censer  by  bearing  in  mind 
that  in  the  Jewish  temjile  there  were  two  altars. 
The  one  called  the  altar  of  sacrifice,  that  stood  im- 
mediately before  the  vestibule  of  the  temple,  on 
which  the  fire  burned  continually.  The  other  was 
called  the  golden  altar,  situated  within  the  sanc- 
tuary, on  which  incense  was  offered.  (Lcvit.  xvi : 
12,  13.)  And  another  angel  came  and  stood  at  tlie 
altar  of  sacrifice  with  a  golden  censer.  While  in 
that  station,  an  attendant  gave  to  him  much  in- 
cense to  offer  with  the  prayers  of  all  saints  on  the 
golden  allar.  Receiving  the  incense  and  filling 
the  censer  with  coals,  lie  proceeded  into  tlie  sanc- 
tuary and  fired  the  incense  on  the  golden  altar, 
while  the  smoke  ascended  before  tlie  holy  of  holies 
in  which  was  the  throne  of  the  Almighty.  Then 
returning  to  the  altar  of  sacrifice  in  the  court,  he 
again  filled  the  censer  with  coals,  and  cast  them  to 
the  earth,  and  there  were  voices,  and  lliunders, 
and  lightnings,  and  an  earth([uake.  All  this  was 
Hymbolicof  an  agency,  not  on  earth,  but  in  heaven. 
It  denoted  that  there  was  to  be  a  visible  recognition 


70  L  E  C  T  U  11  E    F  0  U  R  T  II  . 

in  the  Redeemer's  presence  of  the  supplications  of 
the  church  on  earth.  Tiie  angel,  in  offering  the 
incense,  personated  the  order  of  beings  that  ful- 
filled that  office.  As  the  fire  of  the  altar  is  the 
symbol  of  the  instruments  of  divine  justice,  the 
angel's  filling  his  censer  with  coals  from  the  altar 
after  his  return  from  the  sanctuary  and  casting 
them  to  the  earth,  denoted  that  the  prayers  of  tlie 
church  were  to  be  answered  by  avenging  justice. 
And  the  voices,  lightnings,  thunders  and  eartliquake 
denote  that  that  justice  was  to  be  inflicted  in  a  suc- 
cession of  violent  commotions  in  the  empire,  in 
which  the  visible  church  was  to  have  an  immediate 
interest.  In  fact,  these  voices,  &c,,  were  symbols 
of  the  contests  and  revolutions  which  attended  the 
downfall  of  paganism  and  the  elevation  of  Constan- 
tine  to  imperial  power. 

And  the  seven  angels  which  had  the  seven  trumpets  prepared  them- 
selves to  sound.  The  first  annuel  sounded,  and  there  followed  hail  and 
fire  mingled  with  blood,  and  tliey  were  cast  upon  the  earth  :  and  the 
third  part  of  trees  was  burnt  up,  and  all  green  grass  was  burnt  up.— 
viii :  G,  7. 

The  angels'  preparation  of  themselves  that  they 
might  sound,  was  probably  a  removal  from  before 
the  throne  to  a  station  over  that  part  of  the  earth 
which  was  to  be  the  scene  of  their  respective  sym- 
bols. They  are  not  here  to  be  regarded  as  sym- 
bols, but  their  office  is  simply  to  aid  in  conducting 
tlie  revelation — in  distinguishing  the  periods  of 
the  several  events  and  in  exhibiting  them  in  their 


LECTURE    FOURTH.  ^^ 

relation  to  God.  The  proper  symbol  in  this  visit., 
was  a  violent  storm,  in  which  the  lightnings,  in- 
stead of  limited  flashes,  were  diffused  through  the 
whole  atmosphere.  They  were  equally  dispersed 
with  hail  and  bloody  rain,  and  spread  devastation 
wherever  the  tempest  fell.  The  earth  denotes  the 
Roman  empire.  The  third  part  of  the  trees  signi- 
fies not  all  the  trees  of  one-third  of  the  territory, 
but  a  third  of  the  trees  on  that  part  over  which 
the  tempest  swept.  All  the  grass  was  destroyed 
wherever  the  storm  fell.  It  was  natural  that  a 
growth  so  frail  as  green  grass  should  be  wholly 
destroyed  by  a  heat  sufficient  to  burn  one-third  of 
the  trees.  What  now,  in  order  to  accord  with  the 
symbol,  must  be  the  characteristics  of  tliat  wliich 
it  denotes  ?  It  must  be  a  combination  of  miglity 
and  destructive  agents.  It  must  descend  on  the 
apocalyptic  earth  from  without.  It  must,  on  ful- 
filling its  office,  disai>pear,  or  mingle  with  the  sur- 
rounding elements,  as  hail,  rain  and  fire,  wlien 
cast  to  the  earth,  soon  enter  into  new  combinations 
or  assume  new  forms  of  existence.  It  must  belong 
to  some  other  department  than  tlie  physical  world 
and  exert  its  agency  on  some  different  and  analo- 
gous class  of  objects.  We  find  a  most  exact  and 
conspicuous  agreement  with  all  these  characteristics 
in  the  Gothic  hordes  who  invaded  the  Roman  empire 
about  tlie  beginning  of  the  fiftli  century.  They 
entered  tlie  empire  from  without.  They  were 
forced  into  it  by  the  more  northern  hordes,  who 


IrO  ilEFOURTU. 

in  t.'  a  from  their  dwellings,  as  the 


•^•.  11    UUm      l/UUll     u.v»t;iiiiij^o, 


'  -& 


"^z  ty  of  a  storm  are  driven  over  a 

powers  inherent  in   tliemselves, 
..     Their  incursions  were  marked 
iaiierhter  of  the  inhabitants,  and  a 
their  crops  and  dwellings.    Deprived 
of  1.  shelter,  the  young,  the  feeble  and  the 

aged,  whic.i  to  the  stronger  are  as  grass  compared 
to  trees,  sunk  in  greater  proportion  than  the  active 
and  sturdy.  And  finally,  on  fulfilling  their  office 
of  destruction,  they  disappeared  as  organized  bo- 
dies, either  by  slaughter  and  pestilence,  or  by  in- 
termixture with  the  surviving  population,  or  by  a 
retreat  from  the  empire. 

And  the  second  angel  sounded,  and  as  it  were  a  great  mountain 
burning  with  fire  was  cast  into  the  sea:  and  the  third  part  of  the  sea 
became  blood;  and  the  third  part  of  the  creatures  which  were  in  the 
Bca,  and  had  life,  died ;  and  the  third  part  of  the  ships  were  destroyed. 
— viii :  8,  9. 

This  symbol  is  a  volcanic  mountain  thrown  up 
at  a  great  distance  by  an  explosion  of  the  flaming 
elements  at  its  base,  and  then  precipitated  into  the 
Mediterranean  sea.  Its  burning  lava  is  projected 
over  the  neighboring  waters,  discoloring  them  by 
the  gleam  of  its  fires  or  the  intermixture  of  its 
ashes,  strewing  them  with  fish  destroyed  by  its 
poisonous  minerals  or  heat,  and  firing  the  ships  or 
dashing  them  by  the  descent  of  heavy  masses.  An 
agent  descending  into  the  Roman  empire,  to  cor- 
respond with  this  symbol,  must  obviously  be  one 


LECTURE  FOURTH.  73 

of  great  power,  impelled  from  its  ancient  position 
by  an  irresistible  force,  carrying  witbin  itself  tbe 
elements  of  annoyance  and  destruction  to  surround- 
ing objects,  assuming  a  fixed  position  in  tbe  em- 
pire, and  tbence  frequently  projecting  the  instru- 
ments of  devastation  and  death  on  the  neighboring 
regions.  And  such  most  conspicuously  were  the 
Vandals  under  Genseric,  who,  forced  from  their 
native  seats  by  the  Hunns,  passed  through  France 
and  Spain  into  Africa,  conquered  the  Carthaginian 
territory,  established  an  independent  government, 
and  thence,  through  a  long  period,  harrassed  the 
islands  and  shores  of  the  Mediterranean  by  preda- 
tory incursions,  intercepting  the  commerce  of  the 
sea,  plundering  and  burning  the  cities,  and  slaugh- 
tering tlie  inhabitants.  They  differed  from  the 
earlier  Gotbic  armies  as  widely  as  a  volcano  differs 
in  its  fixed  station  and  destructive  agency,  from  the 
rapid  movements  and  transient  influence  of  a  burn- 
ing tornado. 

And  the  tbird  anpel  sounded,  and  there  fell  a  ffrcat  star  from  hea- 
ven, barninf^  as  it  were  a  lamp,  and  it  ftll  upon  the  third  part  of  the 
rivers,  and  upon  the  fountains  of  waters;  and  the  name  of  the  star  is 
called  Wiirinwood  :  and  tlie  third  part  of  the  waters  became  worm- 
wood ;  and  many  men  died  of  the  waters,  because  they  were  made  bit- 
ter.—yiii :  10,  11. 

Tbe  star  obviously  was  not  a  solid  globe,  but  a 
thin  transparent  meteor,  which  as  it  swept  along 
near  the  surface  and  sank  to  tbe  ground,  still  left 
tbe  objects  it  enveloped  perceptible  to  the  apostle, 
and  were  soon  absorbed  by  the  waters  and  the 
5 


Y4  LECTURBFOURTH. 

earth.  He  bolield  the  rivers  and  fountains  still 
running — perceived  a  cliange  wrought  in  them  by 
the  meteor,  and  saw  that  it  was  the  new  element 
infused  into  them,  that  rendered  them  deadly  to 
many  of  those  who,  dwelling  on  their  banks  at  a 
distance,  drank  of  them.  As  the  scene  exhibited 
to  him  was  the  apocalyptic  earth,  and  the  waters 
its  real  rivers  and  fountains,  the  meteor  doubtless 
descended  on  a  part  of  the  Roman  empire,  where 
fountains  abounded  and  rivers  began  their  course, 
and,  therefore,  on  a  mountainous  region.  As  the 
Alps  give  rise  to  a  number  of  considerable  streams, 
the  angel  sounding  the  trumpet  probably  stood 
over  their  heights,  and  the  meteor  fell  on  the  lofty 
ranges,  whence  the  streams  flow,  and  on  the  val- 
leys through  which  they  descend  to  the  neighbor- 
ing seas.  The  meteor  was  called  the  Wormwood, 
because  it  embittered  tlie  waters^  and  made  them 
fatal  to  many,  who  resided  on  their  borders  in  the 
distant  regions  which  they  traversed,  or  where  they 
mingled  with  the  sea. 

For  the  counterpart  of  this  symbol  analogy  re- 
quires us  to  look  to  the  civil  world.  As  in  a  great 
empire  like  the  Roman,  embracing  many  tribes-', 
and  nations,  the  central  and  most  numerous  people 
is  to  distant  and  tributary  communities,  what  the 
sea  is  to  the  fountains  and  streams  that  descend 
into  it,  the  fountains  and  streams  on  which  the 
meteor  fell  represent  communities  and  tribes  at  a 
distance  from  the  capital,  which  are  always  de- 


LECTURE    FOURTH.  75 

scending  towards  the  centre  and  intermixing  witli 
the  main  population.  As  the  fountains  and  streams 
denote  those  tribes,  the  men  who  were  killed  by 
their  bitter  waters  are  not  men  of  those  tribes,  but 
others,  dwelling  on  their  banks  in  the  distant 
countries  through  which  they  pass,  or  in  the  cen- 
tral population  towards  which  they  descend.  Oth- 
erwise the  waters  and  those  who  drank  them  were 
the  same.  The  symbol  thus  denotes  the  descent  of 
a  terrible  agent  on  the  skirts  of  the  empire^  occu- 
pied by  various  communities,  and  the  infusion  into 
their  policy  of  a  new  element,  by  which  they  be- 
came destructive  to  the  central  population.  And 
such  were  the  characteristics  of  the  Scythian  hordes 
under  Attila,  and  the  effects  of  their  invading  the 
northern  and  western  skirts  of  the  empire.  Like  a 
meteor  descending  from  the  distant  regions  of  the 
atmosphere,  they  came  from  the  remote  solitudes 
of  Asia.  As  the  elements  of  the  star  were  soon 
absorbed  by  the  waters  where  it  fell,  so  they  were 
wasted,  in  a  large  degree,  in  their  disastrous  battles 
with  other  liordes,  and  finally  were  disbanded  and 
absorbed  by  the  tribes  of  Germany  and  the  Danube 
,on  the  death  of  Attila.  The  military  successes  of 
these  last  tribes  caused  them  to  subsist  afterwards 
as  separate  and  independent  nations,  and  to  assume 
relations  towards  Italy  that  became  the  occasion  to 
it  of  slaughters  through  a  long  succession  of  ages. 
Tliey  tims  infused  a  poisonous  element  into  the 
streams  of  population  that  descended  in  In  the  into- 


7G  LECTURE    FOURTH. 

rior.  Their  warlike  youth,  left  unemployed  by 
their  independence,  enlisted  in  large  numbers  in 
the  Italian  armies,  became  a  scourge  alike  to  the 
people  and  rulers,  and  prepared  the  way  for  their 
subjugation.  The  nations  around  the  Alps,  like 
their  rivers,  which  have  never  ceased  to  flow,  have 
continued  from  age  to  age  to  descend  into  Italy  and 
make  it  their  battle-field,  and  to  waste  it  with 
hlaughter. 


LECTURE   FIFTH. 


REVELATIONS  VIII.  :  12-X.  :  11. 

And  the  fourth  angel  sounded,  and  the  third  part  of  the  sun  was 
smitten,  and  the  third  part  of  the  moon,  and  the  third  part  of  the 
stars ;  so  as  the  third  part  of  them  was  darkened,  and  the  day  shone 
not  for  a  third  part  of  it,  and  the  night  likewise. — viii :  12. 

We  have  seen  that  the  land,  the  sea,  the  foun- 
tains and  streams  are  used  to  denote  the  popula- 
tion of  an  empire,  in  their  political  and  military 
relations.  The  sun,  moon  and  stars,  which  pre- 
side over  the  land  and  sea,  and  give  them  light 
and  warmtli,  represent  the  rulers  who  appoint 
laws  to  the  people,  and  exert  a  chief  influence  in 
determining  their  physical  and  civil  conditions. 
The  stroke  on  the  sun,  moon  and  stars,  hy  which  a 
part  of  them  was  to  be  darkened,  denotes,  tliere- 
fore,  a  violent  extinction  of  some  of  the  political 
organizations  of  the  empire — tlie  third  part  ex- 
pressing the  proportion  of  the  influence  of  tlioso 
that  were  to  be  overthrown  to  the  whole.  That 
catastrophe  was  i)r()hal;ly  \he  subversion  of  the 
Western  imperial  government,  and  the  institution 
in  its  })lace  of  a  new  rule,  by  the  Ileruli,  in  the 
year  476. 


78  LECTURE    FIFTH. 

The  two-thirds  of  the  sun,  moon  and  stars  that 
still  shone  were  the  corresponding  governments  of 
the  Eastern  Empire,  which  at  that  period  greatly 
surpassed  the  other  in  strength  and  splendor,  and 
still  continued  to  shed  either  a  brilliant  or  a  feeble 
ray  through  nearly  a  thousand  years. 

And  I  beheld,  and  heard  an  angel  flying  through  the  midst  of 
heaven,  saying  with  a  loud  voice,  Woe,  woe,  woe,  to  the  inhabiters  of 
the  earth  by  reason  of  the  other  voices  of  the  trumpet  of  the  three 
angels,  which  are  yet  to  sound  ! — viii  :  13. 

This  angel  is,  like  the  others  that  fly  through 
heaven,  a  symbol,  and  denotes  a  class  of  men  who, 
after  the  fall  of  the  Western  Empire,  expressed 
fears  of  a  similar  catastrophe  to  the  Eastern  from 
the  Scythian  and  other  distant  tribes.  They  also 
proclaimed  to  the  churches  that  antichrist  was 
soon  to  rise  and  be  overthrown,  and  that  the  dawn 
of  the  millennial  rest  was  about  to  commence.  At 
any  rate,  the  writers  of  that  period  tell  us  that 
through  the  whole  of  the  sixth  century  the  East- 
ern Empire  was  filled  with  apprehensions,  from 
the  attacks  of  various  barbarous  tribes  that  hov- 
ered on  its  skirts,  and  threatened  its  speedy  over- 
throw. With  this  feeling  was  conjoined  the  ex- 
pectation by  the  church  of  the  advent  of  the  Judge 
of  the  world.  If  this  angel  does  not  symbolize 
these  forebodings  of  the  public  mind,  he  represents 
merely  the  importance  of  the  remaining  revela- 
tions. They  were  to  be  significant  of  great  and 
disastrous  events. 


LECTURE    FIFTH.  79 

And  the  fifth  angel  sounded,  and  I  saw  a  star  fall  from  heaven  unto 
the  earth  :  and  to  him  was  given  the  key  of  the  bottomless  pit.  And 
he  opened  the  bottomless  pit ;  and  there  arose  a  smoke  out  of  the  pit, 
as  the  smoke  of  a  great  furnace ;  and  the  sun  and  the  air  were  dark- 
ened by  reason  of  the  smoke  of  the  pit.  And  there  came  out  of  the 
smoke  locusts  upon  the  earth  :  and  unto  them  was  given  power,  as  the 
scorpions  of  the  earth  have  power.  And  it  was  commanded  them  that 
they  should  not  hurt  the  grass  of  the  earth,  neither  any  green  thing, 
neither  any  tree ;  but  only  those  men  which  have  not  the  seal  of  God 
in  their  foreheads.  And  to  them  it  was  given  that  they  should  not 
kill  them,  but  that  they  should  be  tormented  five  months  :  and  their 
torment  teas  as  the  torment  of  a  scorpion,  when  he  striketh  a  man. 
And  in  those  days  shall  men  seek  death,  and  shall  not  find  it;  and 
shall  desire  to  die,  and  death  shall  flee  from  them.  And  the  shapes  of 
the  locusts  were  like  unto  horses  prepared  unto  battle ;  and  on  their 
beads  were  as  it  were  crowns  like  gold,  and  their  faces  were  as  the 
faces  of  men.  And  they  had  hair  as  the  hair  of  women,  and  their  teeth 
were  as  the  teeth  of  lions.  And  they  had  breastplates,  as  it  were 
breastplates  of  iron  ;  and  the  sound  of  their  wings  wa»  as  the  sound  of 
chariots  of  many  horses  running  to  battle.  And  they  had  tails  like 
unto  scorpions,  and  there  were  stings  in  their  tails  :  and  their  power 
was  to  hurt  men  fire  months.  And  they  had  a  king  over  them,  which 
it  the  angel  of  the  bottomless  pit,  whose  name  in  the  Hebrew  tongue 
is  Abaddon,  but  in  the  Greek  tongue  hath  hit  name  Apollyon.  One 
woe  is  past  J  and,  behold,  there  come  two  woes  more  hereafter. — Jiev. 
ix  :  1-12. 


Tlie  mclcor  (tlie  star)  liad  fallen  (Ttf^fwxora)  to 
the  earth  when  first  seen  by  the  Ajjostle.  Its  head 
was  an  intelligent  being,  to  whom  was  given  by 
its  porter  the  key  of  the  bottomless  i)it.  As  the 
head  was  an  individual,  and  bore,  doubtless,  a  duo 
proportion  to  its  train,  the  latter  must  have  been 
of  moderate  dimensions.  lie  opened  the  dungeon 
gate,  and  out  of  the  smoke  which  ascended  and 
filled  the  atmosphere,  locusts  went  forth  to  tho 
earth — agents  of  a  diflercnt  class^  and  having  a 


80  LECTURBFIFTH. 

different  office,  from  those  constituting  the  meteor. 
Their  figures  vt^ere  like  horses  caparisoned  for  bat- 
tle. They  had  faces  as  of  men,  hair  as  of  women, 
and  teeth  as  of  lions.  Tliey  had  on  breastplates 
as  of  iron^  crowns  as  of  gold,  and  such  was  their 
multitude  that  the  sound  of  their  wings  was  like 
the  sound  of  many  chariots  of  horses  rushing  to 
battle.  A  power  was  given  to  them  like  that  of 
the  scorpions  of  the  earth,  and  they  were  not  to 
injure  the  grass,  crops^  or  trees,  but  only  the  men 
who  had  not  the  mark  of  God  on  their  foreheads — 
and  not  by  slaughter,  but  by  a  scorpion  torment. 
They  were  to  exercise  their  power  during  five 
months,  the  usual  period  of  locusts,  and  in  such  a 
form  as  to  render  life  insupportable.  As  they  had 
life,  they  represented  intelligent  beings  ;  and  as 
they  were  of  both  sexes,  and  propagated  their 
kind,  they  denote  human  beings.  The  remaining 
description  would  show  them  to  be  of  a  usurping, 
crafty,  sensual,  voracious  and  unpitying  nature — 
that  they  would  go  forth  from  their  native  seat 
into  other  lands,  and  be,  therefore,  a  warlike  and 
an  invading  nation.  The  men  who  were  to  be  in- 
jured by  them  were  such  as  had  not  the  seal  of 
God  on  their  brows,  i.  e.,  apostates,  who  ascribe 
the  prerogatives  of  God  to  creatures,  and  pay  to 
them  the  homage  that  is  due  only  to  him.  An 
exact  and  conspicuous  agreement  with  these  sym- 
bols is  found  in  the  Mahometan  Saracens.  With 
his  small  band  of  associates,  Mahomet  fled  from 


LECTURE     FIFTH.  81 

Mecca  to  Medina,  like  a  meteor  that  falls  from  the 
place  where  it  is  generated  to  the  earth.  He  there 
received  liberty  to  unfold  and  propagate  his  opin- 
ions, and  soon  diffused  them  through  Arabia  ;  and 
they  were  smoke  from  the  abyss,  instead  of  an  ef- 
fulgence from  the  sun.  The  denseness  of  the  cloud 
from  the  abyss  denotes  not  only  the  utter  false- 
hood of  his  doctrines,  but  the  absoluteness  with 
which  they  enveloped  his  followers,  excluding  ev- 
ery direct  ray  from  heaven,  and  every  refraction 
from  surrounding  objects.  The  disciples  of  Ma- 
homet entertain  no  doubts  whatever  of  the  pro- 
priety of  their  scheme — never  modify  it  by  the 
adoption  of  doctrines  from  others — nor  admit  the 
possibility  of  a  higher  degree  of  truth  in  any  an- 
tagonist system.  From  this  smoke  locusts  went 
forth  to  the  earth.  His  doctrines  generated  in  his 
followers  that  locust  disposition,  by  which  they 
were  prompted  to  go  forth  from  their  native  seat 
to  other  lands — gave  them  their  scorpion  power — 
enjoined  it  as  their  office  to  torture  idolaters,  to  con- 
quer other  nations^  and  to  extend  tlie  sway  of  tlieir 
king.  Tiiey  were  not  to  injure  the  grass  of  the 
eartli,  nor  any  thing  green,  nor  any  tree,  but  only 
the  inhabitants.  H'  we  are  to  construe  these  words 
literally,  this  was  a  singular  injunction  prophet- 
ically laid  on  these  destroyers.  And  though  in 
this  respect  they  were  unlike  the  literal  insect,  yet, 
strange  to  say,  this  injunction,  almost  in  the  words 
of  the  prophecy,  was  actually  given  by  Abubeker, 


I 


82  LECTURE     FIFTH. 

a  Mahometan  leader,  to  the  army  invading  Syria. 
'*  Destroy  no  palm  trees,  nor  hurt  any  fields  of 
corn,  cut  down  no  fruit  trees,  nor  do  mischief  to 
any  cattle."  Their  apparent  aims  were  to  differ 
from  those  of  ordinary  warriors.  They  were  not 
to  be  ostensibly  impelled  by  desire  of  power,  honor 
or  wealth,  but  were  to  profess  themselves  the 
special  ministers  of  God  to  disseminate  a  new 
religion,  to  extirpate  idolatry,  and  to  inflict  a  tor- 
turing punishment  on  apostate  and  corrupt  Chris- 
tians. 

All  the  subordinate  characteristics  were  united 
in  them,  also,  and  denoted  their  dispositions  and 
conduct,  rather  than  their  personal  appearance. 
Their  crowns  denoted  their  daring  pretence  to 
right ;  their  human  faces  implied  cunning  ;  their 
long  hair,  efieminacy;  their  lion's  teeth,  voracity; 
and  their  iron  breastplates,  insensibility  to  the  mis- 
eries of  their  victims.  The  commission  of  the  Sar- 
acens did  not,  however,  allow  them  to  hill  the  body 
politic  of  the  Greek  Empire.  They  were  to  tor- 
ture the  apostate  men  for  five  months.  They  dis- 
membered the  empire,  depriving  it  of  Egypt, 
Syria,  and  other  provinces,  but  as  often  as  they 
approached  Constantinople,  the  heart  of  the  em- 
pire, they  were  repulsed.  The  scorpion  sting  of 
these  symbol  insects  probably  refers  to  the  doc- 
trinal poison  which  the  Mahometans  infused  wher- 
ever they  went.  They  sought  to  instil  that  poison 
by  giving  equal  privileges  to  proselytes  of  every 


LECTURE     FIFTH.  83 

nation,  wliile  those  who  rejected  their  faith  had  to 
continue  in  a  suffering  and  degraded  condition. 
The  two-fold  character  of  a  military  tyrant  and  a 
religious  impostor  is  admirably  indicated  by  the 
teeth  of  the  lion  and  the  sting  of  the  scorpion. 
The  period  of  five  months,  during  which  they  were 
to  torture,  is  explained  variously  by  commenta- 
tors. One  says  it  refers  to  the  practice  of  the  Sar- 
acenic warfare,  which  seems  to  have  been  limited 
to  five  months  in  each  year.  Another,  to  the  tor- 
menting portion  of  the  history  of  the  Saracenic 
power,  which  embraced  a  period  of  one  hundred 
and  fifty  years,  reckoning  each  day  of  the  five 
months  as  a  year.  Although  it  did  not  then  be- 
come extinct,  yet  it  may  be  said  no  longer  to  tor- 
ture. Tlie  aggressive  and  tormenting  period  of 
their  empire,  in  which  they  obtained  all  their 
main  victories  and  secured  their  greatest  con- 
quests, occurred  between  the  years  612,  when  Ma- 
homet began  to  propagate  his  doctrines,  and  762, 
when  the  Caliph  Almansor  began  the  city  of  Bag- 
dad, calling  it  "  tlie  city  of  peace."  A  third  ex- 
jdains  tlic  period  thus  :  The  time  occupied  by  the 
Maliometans,  in  their  course  from  success  to  luxury, 
and  from  luxury  to  decay,  was  to  bear  the  same 
proportion  to  the  career  of  victorious  nations  gene- 
rally as  five  months  do  to  the  usual  life  of  locusts. 
The  character  of  the  nations  harrassed  by  them 
corresponded,  also,  with  the  prophecy.  Thoy  had 
sanctioned  the  arrogation  of  the   rights  of  God 


84  LECTURE    FIFTH. 

by  civil  and  ecclesiastical  rulers,  had  turned  to  the 
open  and  zealous  worship  of  relics^  saints,  and  im- 
ages, and  had  sunk  to  the  lowest  depths  of  profli- 
gacy and  debasement.  Finally,  of  this  numerous 
and  desolating  host,  Mahomet  was  the  king — an 
angel  from  the  infernal  world  to  vex  the  sons  of 
men.  The  name  Abaddon  is  the  Hebrew  word  for 
destroyer,  and  the  name  Apollyon  is  a  Greek  term 
of  the  same  import.  It  was  given  to  him  in  both 
languages  because  he  was  sent  as  a  scourge  as  well 
to  the  Jews  as  to  the  Greeks.  And  liow  well  he 
executed  his  commission  is  seen  in  the  millions 
that  he  tormented  and  deceived. 

And  the  sixth  angel  sounded,  and  I  heard  a  voice  from  the  fonr 
horns  of  the  golden  altar  which  is  before  God,  saj-ing  to  the  sixth  an- 
gel which  had  the  trumpet.  Loose  the  four  angels  which  are  bound  in 
the  great  river  Euphrates.  And  the  four  angels  were  loosed,  which 
were  prepared  for  an  hour,  and  a  day,  and  a  month,  and  a  year,  (or 
to  slay  the  third  part  of  men.  And  the  number  of  the  army  of  the 
horsemen  tcere  two  hundred  thousand  thousand:  and  I  heard  the  num- 
ber of  them.  And  thus  I  saw  the  horses  in  the  vision,  and  them  that 
sat  on  them,  having  breastplates  of  fire,  and  of  jacinth,  and  brimstone: 
and  the  heads  of  the  horses  were  as  the  heads  of  lions ;  and  out  of 
their  mouths  issued  fire  and  smoke  and  brimstone.  By  these  three  was 
the  third  part  of  men  killed,  by  the  fire,  and  by  the  smoke,  and  by  the 
brimstone,  which  issued  out  of  their  months.  For  their  power  is  in 
their  mouth,  and  in  their  tails  :  for  their  tails  were  like  unto  serpents, 
and  had  heads,  and  with  them  they  do  hurt.  And  the  rest  of  the  men 
which  were  not  killed  by  these  plagues  yet  repented  not  of  the  works 
of  their  hands,  that  they  should  not  worship  devils,  and  idols  of  gold, 
and  silver,  and  brass,  and  stone,  and  of  wood  ;  which  neither  can  see, 
nor  hear,  nor  walk  :  neither  repented  they  of  their  murders,  nor  of 
their  sorceries,  nor  of  their  fornication,  nor  of  their  thefts.— ix  :  13-21. 

The  one  voice  from  the  four  horns  of  the  golden 


LECTURE    FIFTH.  85 

altar  was   either   a  joint   voice,  formed   by  voices 
from  the  four  horns  uttering  in  harmony  the  com- 
mand to  loose  the  angels  at  the  Euphrates  ;  or  a 
similar   voice   uttering   successively   from   each   a 
command  to  loose  one  of  the  angels.     The  golden 
altar  was  that  on  which  incense  was  offered  with 
the  prayers  of  the  saints,  and  was  a  symbol  of  the 
cross,  the  instrument  of  Christ's  death,  by  which 
men  have  access  to  God,  and  obtain  pardon  and 
acceptance.     The  cry  from  the  horns  of  that  altar 
denoted,   accordingly,  a  connection  of  the  judg- 
ments which  those  symbolized  by  the  angels  were 
to  inflict,  with  the  sacrifice  of  Christ,  and  that  his 
honor  as  mediator  required  vindication  by  an  in- 
fliction of  the  avenging  judgments  which  the  sym- 
bol foreshows,  on  those  who  had  set  him  aside  and 
substituted  others  in  his  place.     The  Euphrates 
was,  perhaps,  visible  to  the  Apostle,  and  passed 
apparently  beneath  the  station  of  the  sixth  angel. 
The  four  angels  were  leaders  of  bodies  of  men,  and 
doubtless  of  four  armies,  that,  with  their  succes- 
sors, constituted  the  two  hundred  thousand  thou- 
sand.    The  release  of  the  angels  from  bonds  at  the 
I']ui)hrates,  sim[)ly  denotes  the  removal  of  obstacles 
to  their   invasion  of  the  apocalyptic  earth.     The 
analogy  is  drawn  from  the  relations  of  the  Eu[)hra- 
tes  to  ancient  Babylon,  and  the  access  which  Cyrus 
and  his  troops  gained  to  that  city  by  the  diversion 
of  the  river  from  its  channel.    See  Is.  45  :  1.    Some 
barrier  resembling  that,  not  a  mere  indisposition, 
8 


86  LECTUREFIFTH. 

was  to  "be  removed  in  order  to  their  incursion  into 
the  empire.  This  is  indicated  hy  the  statement 
that  they  had  heen  prepared  for  the  hour,  and  day, 
and  month,  and  year;  i.  e.,  not  merely  for  the 
year,  but  for  the  very  hour  to  begin  the  invasion, 
when  the  barriers  should  be  removed. 

The  breastplates  of  the  horsemen,  of  the  color  of 
fire,  or  flaming  red,  of  hyacinth,  or  blue,  and  of  sul- 
phur, or  bright  yellow,  denote  their  vehement  and 
aggressive  spirit,  and  disposition  to  slaughter  and 
devastation.  In  the  Greek  of  John  the  terms  are 
all  adjectives,  and  signify  like  fire,  like  the  hya- 
cinth, like  brimstone,  not  made  of  these  materials. 
The  lion-like  appearance  of  their  horses  is  intended 
to  depict  the  destroying  effect  of  their  invasions. 
The  fire,  smoke  and  brimstone,  issuing  out  of  their 
mouths,  are  thought  by  some  to  be  an  allusion  to 
the  use  of  fire  arms  by  the  Moslem  cavalry.  To  a 
person  who  had  never  seen  a  horseman  discharge  a 
pistol,  the  appearance  was  very  similar  to  that 
here  described.  When  the  Spaniards  invaded 
South  America,  the  impression  produced  on  the 
inhabitants  by  their  cavalry  when  they  leaned  for- 
ward on  their  horses  and  fired  their  pistols,  was, 
that  the  horse  and  his  rider  formed  a  supernatural 
being,  from  whose  mouth  issued  ''  smoke,  fire  and 
brimstone."  Other  commentators  think  this  en- 
tire description  merely  denotes  that  these  invading 
armies  would  be  to  those  whom  they  assailed  what 
fire  and  smoke  and  brimstone  are  to  those  envel- 


LECTURE     FIFTH.  87 

oped  by  them.  Both  the  heads  and  tails  of  the 
horses  were  destructive,  i.  e.,  they  would  be  ter- 
rific assailants  on  the  one  hand,  and  subject  those 
who  escaped  slaughter  to  a  horrible  form  of  suffer- 
ing on  the  other. 

The  nations  whom  they  were  to  scourge  with 
these  plagues  were  to  be  worshippers  of  demons 
and  idols,  and  those  who  survived  the  attack  were 
to  continue  wholly  unreformcd.  All  these  descrip- 
tions are  realized  in  the  Tartar  tribes  who  invaded 
the  eastern  Roman  Empire,  frojn  the  eleventh  to 
the  fifteenth  century.  They  came  from  without 
the  apocalyptic  earth.  They  were  four  different 
divisions,  under  their  respective  leaders.  Their 
entrance  into  the  empire  was  preceded  by  the  con- 
quest of  intermediate  enemies,  and  other  events,, 
which  gave  the  chiefs  the  requisite  power.  They 
and  their  descendants  were  innumerable  in  multi- 
tude. They  were  objects  of  terror  beyond  any 
other  conquerors,  alike  to  those  whom  they  as- 
sailed and  those  whom  they  threatened.  Like  burn- 
ing whirlwinds,  they  spread  devastation  through 
the  scenes  of  their  conquests.  Tliey  tortured  with 
a  serpent  venom  those  whom  they  conr^uercd.  And 
the  nations  overrun  by  them  were  ajjostates  to  idol- 
atry, and  remained  unrcfornied  ])y  their  miseries. 

And  I  paw  armthiT  rni^;lity  an;;(!l  coino  down  rroiii  heaven,  clothed 
witli  a  cloud  :  and  a  rainbow  wiim  upon  his  head,  and  liis  I'aco  was  as  it 
were  the  son,  and  his  feel  as  pillara  or  fire;  and  liu  had  in  his  hand  a 
little  botik  open  :  and  he  set  his  rij^ht  foot  upon  the  sea,  and  his  left 
foot  on  the  earth,  and  cried  with  n  loud  voice,  aa  when  a  iiun  roareth: 


88  LECTUREFIFTH. 

and  tvhcn  he  had  cried,  seven  thunders  uttered  their  voices.  And 
when  the  seven  thunders  had  uttered  their  voices,  I  was  about  to 
write :  and  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven  saying  unto  tno.  Seal  up  tliose 
things  which  the  seven  thunders  uttered,  and  write  them  not.  And  the 
angel  which  I  saw  stand  upon  the  sea  and  upon  the  earth  lifted  up  his 
hand  to  heaven,  and  sware  by  him  that  liveth  for  ever  and  ever,  who 
created  heaven,  and  the  things  that  therein  arc,  and  the  earth,  and  the 
things  that  therein  are,  and  the  sea,  and  the  things  which  are  therein, 
that  there  should  be  time  no  longer  :  but  in  the  days  of  the  voice  of  the 
seventh  angel,  when  he  shall  begin  to  sound,  the  mystery  of  God 
ehould  be  finished,  as  he  hath  declared  to  his  servants  the  prophets. 
And  the  voice  which  I  hoard  from  heaven  spake  unto  nie  again,  and 
said.  Go  and  take  the  little  book  which  is  open  in  the  hand  of  the  angel 
which  standeth  upon  the  sea  and  upon  the  earth.  And  I  went  unto 
the  angel  and  said  unto  him.  Give  me  the  little  book.  And  he  said 
unto  me.  Take  it,  and  eat  it  up ;  and  it  shall  make  thy  belly  bitter,  but 
it  shall  be  in  thy  mouth  sweet  as  honey.  And  I  took  the  little  book 
out  of  the  angel's  hand,  and  ate  it  up  ;  and  it  was  in  my  mouth  sweet 
as  honey;  and  as  soon  as  I  had  eaten  it,  my  bully  was  bitter.  And  he 
eaid  unto  me.  Thou  must  prophesy  again  before  many  peoples,  and  na- 
tions, and  tongues,  and  kings. — x  :  1-11. 

The  splendor  of  the  angel's  form  and  aspect  de- 
notes the  conspicuity  of  those  whom  he  represents 
and  the  effulgence  of  the  light  they  were  to  impart 
to  the  nations.  His  setting  his  right  foot  on  the 
sea  and  his  left  foot  on  the  land  indicates,  that  some 
■whom  he  symbolizes  were  to  cross  the  ocean  to 
distant  islands  and  continents,  and  that  the  agency 
which  they  were  to  exert  was  to  continue  through 
a  long  period.  The  seven  thunders  that  followed 
the  utterance  of  his  message,  denote  violent  expres- 
eions  of  thought  and  passion  hy  those  wliom  the 
agents  he  represented  were  to  address.  They  ut- 
tered an  intelligible  response  to  his  message,  as 
appears  from  John's  procedure  to  write,  and  the 


LECTURE    FIFTH.  89 

direction  lie  received  not  to  write  what  tliey  liad 
spoken.  The  loudness  denotes  the  vastness  of  the 
multitude  by  whom  that  which  they  symbolized 
was  uttered.  That  the  apostle  was  about  to  write 
it  on  the  assumption  that  it  was  prophetic,  may 
perhaps  indicate  that  s6iQe  persons  would  regard 
what  they  had  spoken  as  inspired.  The  reason 
that  it  was  not  to  be  written,  doubtless,  was  that 
it  was  not  inspired.  It  was  expressive  of  popular 
thought  and  feeling — of  much,  therefore,  that  was 
mistaken  and  evil,  and  which,  if  written,  would 
have  led  the  reader  to  dangerous  misconceptions. 
The  solemn  oath  of  the  angel  was  a  response  to 
those  thunder  voices  designed  to  correct  an  error, 
which  they  had  expressed,  in  regard  to  the  period 
when  the  empire  of  the  saints  was  to  be  established 
on  earth.  The  time  shall  not  he  yet — vs.  6  ;  but  in 
the  days  of  the  voice  of  the  seventh  angel,  when  he 
can  proceed  to  sound,  the  mystery  of  God  should 
be  finished  as  he  declared  to  the  prophets — vs.  7. 
The  appeal  of  tlie  angel  to  God  for  tlie  truth  of  his 
assertion,  denotes  that  those  whom  lie  symbolized 
were  to  found  tlieir  teachings,  respecting  the  com- 
mencement of  that  reign,  on  tlie  word  of  God 
alone,  and  make  it  tlie  sole  rule  of  tlieir  faith  and 
ground  of  their  hope.  Tlic  mystery  of  God  is  liis 
permission  of  the  sui)reniacy  of  the  wild  beast  and 
false  projthet  over  the  church  during  the  twelve 
hundred  and  sixty  years,  before  his  descent  to 
establish  his  kingdom. 


90  LECTUREFIFTH. 

In  receiving  the  open  boot,  the  apostle  acted  as 
a  symbol.  He  represented  the  recipients,  as  the 
angel  did  the  comrannicators,  of  revealed  truth. 
His  eating  it  with  a  sense  of  sweetness  foreshal  >\ved 
that  they  should  receive  and  study  the  volume 
with  eagerness  and  delight ;  and  the  bitterness  it 
excited  symbolized  the  inquietudes,  aversions,  ani- 
mosities and  contests  of  which  it  was  to  prove  to 
them  the  occasion.  That  he  must  prophesy  before 
many  kings,  and  peoples,  and  tongues,  implies  that 
they  should  act  as  witnesses  for  God  in  the  pres- 
ence of  anti-christian  rulers,  and  the  people  at 
large. 

All  these  characteristics  point  us,  most  obvious- 
ly, to  the  Reformers  of  the  sixteenth  century. 
They  were  as  conspicuous  to  the  men  of  that  age, 
and  invested  with  as  dazzling  a  splendor,  as  a 
mighty  angel  would  have  been,  descending  from 
heaven,  robed  in  a  cloud,  and  crowned  with  the 
brilliancy  of  a  rainbow.  They  uttered  their  mes- 
sage with  a  lion-voice  that  resounded  through  all 
the  valleys  of  Europe — echoed  from  her  remotest 
mountains,  and  struck  their  foes  with  terror.  Their 
voice  drew  from  great  multitudes  instantaneous 
and  passionate  expressions  of  thought  and  feeling, 
that  shook  the  ecclesiastical  and  civil  governments 
to  their  foundations.  One  of  the  first  and  most 
violent  of  these  utterances  was  a  false  protence  to 
inspiration,  and  an  expression  of  the  belief,  that 
Antichrist   would   soon  fall,    and    the   millennial 


LECTURE    FIFTH.  91 

kingdom  of  Jesus  would  soon  be  establisTied.  That 
expression  prompted  the  Keformers  to  correct  the 
error  by  an  appeal  to  the  Scriptures,  and  a  demon- 
stration that  Christ  is  not  to  come  till  the  sound  of 
the  seventh  trumpet,  as  he  had  announced  to  his 
servants  the  prophets.  They  delivered  to  their 
followers  the  word  of  God,  open  to  their  perusal  by 
translations  into  their  sevetal  languages^  and  re- 
duced in  size  and  cost  by  the  art  of  printing.  Like 
the  angel,  they  urged  men  to  receive  and  study  it  as 
the  only  authoritative  revelation  of  the  divine  will. 
The  Bible  Avas  received  and  studied  by  their  fol- 
lowers with  the  utmost  eagerness  and  delight,  but 
diversities  of  opinion  and  fierce  contentions  soon 
sprang  up  that  distracted  the  Protestant  churches, 
and  embittered  their  spiritual  joys.  The  Reformers 
and  their  successors  have  fulfilled  the  office  of  wit- 
nesses for  God  in  opposition  to  the  usurpations  of 
the  wild  beast  and  false  prophet,  and  they  are  to 
continue  to  sustain  that  office  till  the  mystery  of 
God  is  finished. 

It  would  be  easy  to  verify  all  these  stalements 
by  evidence  from  history,  did  our  limits  permit. 
We  will  close  by  a  few  general  remarks  : 

1.  During  tlie  long  period  tliat.  intervened  be- 
tween tlie  reign  of  Constantino  and  the  fifteenth 
century,  the  church  as  a  body  (so  called)  had  be- 
come awfully  corrupt  in  doctrine  and  manners. 
One  single  fact  will  illustrate  tbe  condition  of 
things.    Aljsolution  from  past  sins,  and  indulgence 


92  LECTUREFIFTH. 

to  commit  future  sins,  were  sold  by  the  priests  to 
the  people  at  a  stipulated  price.  More  than  forty 
editions  of  the  ''Tax  Lists"  are  still  extant,  in 
which  the  amount  to  be  paid  for  the  most  horrid 
crimes  is  prescribed.  One  price  was  affixed  for 
murder,  another  for  perjury,  another  for  incest, 
and  so  on.  Such  was  the  state  of  things,  when 
God  raised  up  a  German  Monk — the  world-famed 
Martin  Luther — wlio  with  his  associates,  exposed 
the  corruptions  of  his  day,  and  introduced  a  purer 
system  of  faith  and  a  higher  standard  of  morals. 
In  1522  he  published  his  translation  of  the  New 
Testament — a  little  book,  and  open  for  the  perusal 
of  all.  From  that  period  the  great  and  leading 
distinction  between  the  true  and  false  religions  has 
ever  been,  and  still  is  this : — the  one  directs  the 
people  to  the  Bible  to  learn  a  creed — the  other  sets 
up  its  creed  by  authority  of  councils  and  the  fa- 
thers, and  either  withholds  the  Bible  entirely,  or 
distorts  its  obvious  meaning  to  su2:)port  the  creed. 
2.  There  is_,  perhaps,  nothing  which  God  hates 
with  so  much  abhorrence  as  he  docs  a  perverted 
religion.  In  the  Jewish  nation  he  denounced  the 
sorest  vengeance  on  those  that  corrupted  his  insti- 
tutions, vitiated  his  ordinances,  and  led  away  his 
people  into  idolatrous  practices.  Under  the  gospel 
dispensation,  he  has,  viith  unvarying  precision, 
attaclied  his  woes  to  those  who  make  void  his  will 
by  inculcating  human  tradition.  A  corrupt  Chris- 
tianity has  filled  the  world  with  lamentation,  and 


LECTURE     FIFTH.  93 

mourning,  and  woe.  It  has  occasioned  more  per- 
secution and  bloodshed  than  open  and  avowed 
paganism  and  infidelity.  It  has  veiled  the  truth 
from  the  eyes  of  the  Avorld,  and  caused  thousands 
to  die  in  profound  ignorance  of  the  way  of  salva- 
tion, though  born  in  Christendom. 

3.  Nor  is  it  sufficient  to  belong  to  the  true 
church.  We  may  study  and  understand  the  gospel 
and  still  not  love  its  truths,  and  not  obey  its  pre- 
cepts. Let  us  aim  to  conform  our  most  secret  affec- 
tions to  the  holy  will  of  God — to  regulate  all  our 
secular  and  all  our  religious  conduct  by  his  pre- 
ce[)t.s,  and  to  dedicate  our  whole  lives  to  the  one 
object — Jiis  glory.  And  let  the  whole  earth  be  filled 
with  his  glory.     Amen  and  amen  ! 


LECTUKE   SIXTH. 


REVELATIONS,  CHAPTER  XI. 

And  there  was  given  me  a  reed  like  unto  a  rod  :  and  the  angel  stood, 
saj'ing.  Rise,  and  measure  the  temple  of  God,  and  the  altar,  and  them 
that  worship  therein.  But  the  court  which  is  without  the  temple 
leave  out,  and  measure  it  not ;  for  it  is  given  unto  the  Gentiles  : 
and  the  holy  city  shall  they  tread  under  foot  forty  and  two  months. — 
liev.  xi  :  1,  2. 

Tlie  scene  of  this  action  was  obviously  the  earth 
also,  to  which  the  Apostle  had  descended  to  receive 
from  the  rainbow-angel  the  little  book,  Jeru- 
salem, with  its  temple  and  courts,  was  displayed, 
therefore,  before  him.  Tlie  rod  is  the  symbol  of 
the  revealed  will  of  the  Deity,  in  conformity  with 
which  the  temple  was  built.  The  temple  was  the 
edifice  erected  hy  his  command,  in  which  worship 
was  publicly  offered.  It  consisted  of  the  holy  of 
holies  and  the  sanctuary.  The  former  symbolized 
the  heavens,  where  God  visibly  manifests  his  pres- 
ence ;  the  latter,  the  places  on  earth  in  wliicli  the 
true  worshippers  offer  him  their  homage.  The  al- 
tar on  wliich  incense,  the  symbol  of  prayer,  was 
offered,  represented  the  cross  of  Christy  the  me- 
dium of  reconciliation  and  access  to  God  ;  and  the 


LECTURE     SIXTH,  95 

worshippers  denoted  those  who  conduct  the  wor- 
ship which  he  has  appointed.  To  measure  the 
temple,  then,  was  to  learn  the  truths  taught  in  the 
Scriptures,  and  symbolized  first  by  the  inner  sanc- 
tuary, respecting  the  throne  of  God  in  heaven,  the 
exaltation  and  intercession  of  Christ  in  his  pres- 
ence^ and  the  relations  to  him  there  of  the  spirits 
of  the  redeemed,  denoted  by  the  cherubim.  It  was 
to  learn,  also,  the  truths  symbolized  by  the  outer 
sanctuary,  respecting  the  places  on  earth  which  he 
has  appointed  for  his  worship — respecting  the  ex- 
piation on  which  they  are  to  rely  for  pardon  and 
acceptance,  denoted  by  the  altar,  and  respecting 
the  ministers  who  conduct  the  worship  he  enjoins, 
represented  by  the  offerers  of  the  worship  in  the  sanc- 
tuary. The  court  which  was  on  the  outside,  was 
that  in  which  the  congregation  stood  while  incense 
was  offered,  and  denoted  the  station  of  the  congre- 
gation of  visible  worshii)pers,  in  contradistinction 
from  theirs  who  conduct  public  worship.  To  reject 
it  as  no  part  of  the  temple,  was,  therefore,  to  re- 
ject the  body  of  the  visible  as  not  true  worship- 
pers. The  command  to  reject  it  was  equivalent  to 
a  proj)hecy  tliat  tjic  nominal  was  not  to  be  tiie  true 
church — that  the  vast  crowds  who  were  to  tlirong 
the  court,  professedly  to  pay  homage  to  God,  were 
not  to  be  his  adorers.  The  prediction  that  this 
court  should  be  given  to  the  Gentiles,  and  that 
they  should  tread  the  holy  city  forty-two  months, 
denoted   that   they  should  constitute  the  body  of 


96  LECTURE     SIXTH. 

visible  worshippers  during  that  period,  and  exer- 
cise the  civil  polity  under  which  the  church  should 
subsist.  And  as  during  the  continuance  of  the 
temple,  the  Gentiles  were  aliens  from  God,  and 
idolaters,  in  contradistinction  from  the  Jews,  who 
were  his  covenant  people,  it  denotes  that  the  vis- 
ible should  be  an  apostate  and  idolatrous  church 
during  that  period,  and  give  occasion  thereby  for 
the  testimony  of  the  witnesses  to  the  truth  against 
false  teachers  and  persecuting  rulers.  If  this  is 
the  true  exposition  of  the  passage,  it  excludes  the 
papal  church  from  being  a  portion  of  the  real 
kingdom  of  Christ.  It  also  i)lace8  the  Church  of 
England  in  an  awkward  position.  She  does  not 
unchurch  the  Church  of  Rome,  though  she  charges 
upon  her  grievous  errors.  And  why  not  unchurch 
her?  Because,  forsooth,  she  derives  from  that 
church  her  episcopal  ordination,  and  she  sees  no 
method  of  defending  its  validity  or  of  tracing  it  in 
unbroken  succession  up  to  the  Apostles,  except  by 
admitting  the  authority  of  those  from  whom  and 
through  whom  she  professes  to  have  received  that 
succession.  But  in  the  passage  before  us  that  com- 
munity is  left  out  of  the  measurement,  as  no  jmrt 
of  the  temple  of  God.  It  is  not  Mount  Zion,  but 
Babylon.  Some  of  God's  people  might  be  found 
in  her,  but  they  are  commanded  to  come  out.  She 
is  not  the  bride,  the  Lamb's  wife,  but  the  mother 
of  harlots.  If  the  church  of  Rome  continued,  af- 
ter she  assumed  the  work  of  persecution,  to  be  the 


LECTURE    SIXTH.  97 

true  cliurch  of  Christ,  what  must  be  that  body  who 
fled  from  her  persecutions  into  the  wilderness? 
This  argument  is  decisive.  The  kingdom  of  God 
could  not  have  been  divided  against  itself. 

And  I  will  give  poteer  unto  my  two  witnesses,  and  they  shall  proph- 
esy a  thousand  two  hundred  and  three-score  days,  clothed  in  sack- 
cloth. These  are  the  two  olive  trees,  and  the  two  candlesticks  stand- 
ing before  the  God  of  the  earth. — li :  3,  4. 

The  promise  to  give  power  to  the  two  witnesses, 
referred  to  such  gifts  as  were  requisite  to  qualify 
them  for  their  office.  To  prophesy  as  a  witness,  is 
to  proclaim  the  revealed  will  of  God,  and  to  vindi- 
cate his  prerogatives  against  false  teachers  and 
usurping  rulers.  The  period  of  their  testimony 
was  to  correspond  to  the  apostacy  of  the  church, 
twelve  hundred  and  sixty  days — forty-two  months 
of  thirty  days  each  being  the  same.  A  day  in 
prophecy  being  a  year  in  history,  this  period  is  ev- 
idently twelve  hundred  and  sixty  years.  Sack- 
cloth is  a  symbol  of  humiliation  and  sorrow.  To 
prophesy  in  sackcloth,  therefore,  denoted  their  wit- 
nessing for  God  in  humiliation,  under  a  profound 
sense  of  his  rights  and  grief  at  the  apostacy  of  his 
professing  people.  The  two  olive  trees  and  two 
lamps,  which  symbolize  the  two  witnesses,  are 
those  exhibited  in  vision  to  Zechariah — iv  :  4,  11, 
14.  The  trees  that  distilled  the  oil  into  tlie  lamps, 
represented  the  teachers,  and  the  lamps,  tliat  re- 
ceived the  oil,  represented  those  that  embraced 
their  doctrine.  The  two  witnesses,  then,  are  the 
9 


98  LECTURE    SIXTH. 

teachers,  and  the  recipients  of  the  truth,  in  whom 
it  exerts  and  displays  its  power,  as  the  oil  trans- 
mitted from  the  olive  trees  to  the  lamps  burned 
and  diffused  its  light  through  the  temple.  This 
exposition  of  the  witnesses,  and  of  the  period  of 
their  testimony,  accords  beautifully  with  a  proph- 
ecy of  Daniel.  Speaking  of  this  time,  he  says,  "  A 
little  horn  shall  grow  up  among  the  ten  horns, 
that  should  wear  out  the  saints  of  the  Most  High 
until  a  time,  times  and  the  dividing  of  time," 
i.  e.,  for  a  year,  two  years  and  half  a  year,  making 
three  and  one-half  years =forty-two  months= 
twelve  hundred  and  sixty  days.  According  to 
John,  the  witnesses,  during  this  period,  were  to 
prophesy  in  sackcloth,  and  to  be  persecuted  and 
slain.  Accorc.ing  to  Daniel,  the  saints  were  to  be 
worn  out  during  the  same  period.  The  saints  of 
Daniel  and  the  two  witnesses  of  John  are,  there- 
fore^ the  same. 

And  if  any  man  will  hart  them,  fire  proceedeth  out  of  their  month, 
and  dcTOureth  their  enemies :  and  if  any  man  will  hurt  them,  he  must 
in  this  manner  be  killed.  These  have  power  to  shut  heaven,  that  it 
rain  not  in  the  days  of  their  prophecy :  and  have  power  over  waters 
to  turn  them  to  blood,  and  to  smite  the  earth  with  all  plagues,  aa  often 
as  they  will.— xi :  5,  6. 

The  fire  proceeding  from  their  mouths  to  devour 
their  enemies,  is  a  prediction  that  they  should  de- 
fend themselves  from  their  persecutors  by  their 
words,  as  witnesses  for  God,  and  by  these  alone  ; 
and  that  the  threatenings  of  vengeance  which  they 


LECTURE    SIXTH.  99 

were  to  proclaim  from  his  Word  were  to  be  ful- 
filled on  his  enemies.  All  who  have  perseveringly 
set  themselves  against  the  gospel  have  been  slain 
by  it,  not  only  as  incurring  the  wrath  to  come,  but 
frequently  temporal  and  spiritual  judgments — the 
presages  of  eternal  death.  That  tlie  witnesses  had 
power  to  shut  heaven,  that  rain  should  not  fall, 
and  to  turn  water  into  blood,  denotes  that  the  de- 
nunciation of  terrible  judgments  on  apostates  was 
to  be  an  eminent  part  of  their  office.  There  is  a 
plain  allusion  to  Elijah,  whose  prayer  against  Is- 
rael was  followed  by  a  dearth  of  rain,  and  to  Mo- 
ses, whose  prayers  against  Pharaoh  converted  the 
waters  of  the  Nile  into  blood,  and  produced  other 
grievous  plagues.  By  these  expressions,  we  need 
not  understand  that  miracles  were  still  to  follow 
the  supplications  of  believers.  Tliese  examples 
are  adduced  as  specimens  of  the  efficacy  of  prayer, 
and  though  the  era  of  miracles  is  past,  yet  tlie  ag- 
onizing petitions  of  God's  suffering  children  may 
still  drawdown  temporal  calamities  on  persecuting 
nations.  Tlieir  ministry  often  receives  from  Ciod 
th(^  most  evident  sanctions,  in  the  destruction  of 
those  who,  though  faitlifuUy  warned,  persist  in 
apostacy.  The  agency  symbolized  by  tlie  meas- 
uring of  the  temple  had  an  exact  counterpart  in 
the  ministry  of  the  Reformers  and  tlieir  successors. 
The  great  truths  which  tliey  drew  from  the  Scrip- 
tures, and  proclaimed  in  opposition  to  the  apostate 
church,  were  precisely  those  that  were  symbolized 


100  LECTURE    SIXTH. 

by  the  inner  and  outer  sanctuary — that  God  alone 
has  the  rights  of  deity,  and  is  the  object  of  wor- 
ship, in  oi)position  to  antichrist,  to  canonized  crea- 
tures,  and  to  idols — that  Christ's  sacrifice  is  the 
only  expiation  for  sin,  in  contradistinction  to  the 
sacrifice   of  the   mass   and  voluntary  inflictions — 
that   he  is  the  only  intercessor,  in  opposition  to 
saints  and  angels — that  the  spirits  of  the  redeemed 
pass  immediately  into  His  presence  after  death,  in- 
stead of  into  purgatory — that  acceptable  worship 
may  be  offered  wherever  two  or  three  assemble  in 
the  name  of  Christ,  in  opposition  to  the  idea  that 
homage  can  only  be  offered  in  houses  consecrated 
by  superstitious  rites,  and  sanctified  by  the  pres- 
ence of  relics,  images,  &c. — and  finally,  that  they 
are  legitimate  conductors  of  worship  who  are  pub- 
licly set  apart  to  that  office,  and  who  proclaim  the 
truths  and  present  the  homage  which  God  enjoins, 
in  opposition  to  the  dogma  that  those  alone  are 
the  true  ministers  who  derive  their  authority  from 
the  pope,   or   from   patriarchs,   or   from   bishops. 
The  prediction  of  treading  the  holy  city  by  the 
Gentiles  during  twelve  hundred  and  sixty  years, 
and  of  the  prophecy  of  the  witnesses  in  sackcloth, 
has  also  had  a  conspicuous  fulfilment.     That  pe- 
riod commenced  in  the  early  part  of  the  seventh 
century.     The  Greek  and  Latin  communions  had 
then  openly  apostatized  from  God,  paying  to  crea- 
tures, and  even  to  images,  the  worship  due  only  to 
him.     They  have  continued  and  advanced  in  that 


LECTURE    SIXTH.  101 

apostacy  through  all  subsequent  ages.      On  the 
other  hand,  at  every  period  of  that  long  night  of 
idolatry  and  persecution,  God  raised  up  a  few  wit- 
nesses, both  teachers  and  recipients  of  their  doc- 
trine, who  proclaimed  the  truth,  in  opposition  to 
those  errors,  and  denounced  the  judgments  which 
God   has   threatened   to  inflict  on  the  idolatrous 
church,   and   on   persecuting   civil   rulers.      Such 
were  many  of  the  Paulicians,  the  Waldenses_,  the 
Albigeuses,  the  WicklifStes,  the  Lollards,  andt  he 
Bohemians,  and  such  have  been  a  vast  number  of" 
the  Protestants  for  the  last  three  hundred  years. 

And  when  they  shall  have  finished  their  testimony,  the  beast  that 
ascendeth  out  of  the  bottomless  pit  shall  make  war  against  them,  and 
eball  overcome  them,  and  kill  them.  And  their  dead  bodies  thall  lie 
in  the  street  of  the  great  city,  which  spiritually  is  called  Sodom  and 
Egypt,  where  also  our  Lord  was  crucified.  And  they  of  the  people 
and  kindreds  and  tongues  and  nations  shall  see  their  dead  bodies  three 
days  and  a  half,  and  shall  not  suffer  their  dead  bodies  to  be  put  ia 
graves.  And  they  that  dwell  upon  the  earth  shall  rejoice  over  tlium, 
and  make  merry,  and  shall  send  gifts  one  to  another ;  because  these 
two  prophets  tormented  them  that  dwelt  on  the  earth.  And  after 
three  days  and  a  half  the  spirit  of  life  from  God  entered  into  them,  and 
they  stood  upon  their  feet ;  and  great  fear  fell  upon  them  which  saw 
them.  And  they  heard  a  great  voice  from  heaven,  saying  unto  them, 
Come  up  hither.  And  they  a.scund<.d  up  to  heaven  in  u  cloud ;  and 
their  enemies  beheld  them.  And  the  same  hour  was  there  a  great 
earthquake,  and  the  tenth  part  of  tho  oity  fell,  and  in  the  eartlujuake 
were  slain  of  men  seven  thousand  :  and  the  remnant  were  all'righted, 
and  gave  glory  to  the  God  of  heaven.  The  second  woo  is  past;  and, 
behold,  the  third  woe  comctb  quickly.— xi  :  7-14. 

The  witnesses  would  finish  their  testimony  before 
tlic  close  of  the  twelve  hundred  and  sixty  years, 
doubtless  under  tlic  a])prclicusion   tlmt  it  was  no 


102  LECTURE    SIXTH. 

longer  to  be  necessary — that  the  great  changes 
wrought  in  public  opinion  and  in  the  condition  of 
the  apostate  church,  divested  it  of  its  dangerous 
power,  and  insured  its  speedy  overthrow — and  that 
they  might,  therefore,,  turn  to  the  happier  task  of 
proclaiming  the  truth  to  those  who  never  heard  its 
glad  tidings.  And  such  was  the  persuasion  of  the 
Protestants  generally  on  the  subversion  of  the 
French  hierarchy  and  the  conquest  of  the  papal 
states  towards  the  close  of  the  last  century.  That 
the  priesthood  could  so  far  recover  from  its  depres- 
sion, as  it  has  already  done,  resume  its  influence 
over  most  of  the  cabinets,  and  renew  a  persecution 
of  the  witnesses,  was  neither  anticipated,  nor  re- 
garded as  possible.  The  Protestants  accordingly 
commenced  their  great  efforts  for  the  conversion  of 
the  world,  and  continue  generally  to  the  present 
hour  to  cherish  confident  expectations  of  success. 
The  wild  beast  that  ascends  out  of  the  abyss  is  the 
symbol  of  the  persecuting  civil  rulers  of  the  Gen- 
tile nations  that  tread  the  holy  city  forty-two 
months.  Its  usurping  career  is  not  to  terminate 
till  the  close  of  the  forty-two  months.  Its  judg- 
ment, however,  is  already  begun,  and  it  is  in  the 
exasperation  and  despair  to  which  future  judg- 
ments will  drive  it  that  it  is  to  endeavor  to  pur- 
chase support  or  disarm  opposition  by  slaughtering 
the  witnesses.  As  the  event  symbolized  by  the 
slaughtering  of  the  witnesses  is  yet  future,  it  be- 
comes us  to  speak   with  modesty  of  the  precise 


LECTURE    SIXTH.  103 

meaning  of  this  slaughter.     I  incline  to  adopt  the 
opinion  that  the  slaughtering  of  the  ivitnesses  is  to  he 
literal.     It  is  a  law  of  symbolization  that  when  any 
event  presents  no  analogy  to  any  other  event,  that 
event  is  made  the  representative  of  itself.     Now, 
the  death  of  the  witnesses  could  find  no  condition 
of  life,  no  variation  of  existence,  that  is  adapted  to 
symbolize  that  change,  and  hence  it  is  employed  to 
symbolize  itself.     In  other  words,  it  is  to  be  lite- 
rally understood.     The  city  in  whose  streets  their 
dead  bodies  are  to  be  exposed  is  the  great  city 
Babylon,  the  associated  teachers  and  rulers  of  the 
nationalized  churches.     Its  character  is  pointed  out 
by  the  name?  it  bears.     It  is  a  Sodom  for  its  filthi- 
ness,  an  Egypt  for  its  intolerance  and  idolatry,  and 
a  Jerusalem  for  its  malignant  hatred  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.     The  place  where  Christ  was  cruci- 
fied was  an  open  elevated  space,  without  the  walls 
of  Jerusalem,  and  on  one'of  the  principal  entrances 
to  the  city.     The  street  where  the  dead  bodies  of 
the  witnesses  arc  'o  be  placed,  represents,  therefore, 
parts  of  the  ten  kingdoms  bearing  the  same  rela- 
tion of  importanco  to  the  aj)ostate  liierarchios,  that 
the  great  entrance  to  Jerusalem  did  to  that  city — 
i.  e.,   i)art8  of  those  kingdoms  from   wliich  those 
hierarchies  largely  derive  their  sustenance,  wealth 
and  worshippers.     The   people   and   nations  who 
gaze  on  their  bodies,  are   the  subjects  of  the  wild 
beast  who  approve  their  Hbiughtcr.     Tlie  refusal  to 
allow  their  burial,  implies  that  there  are  to  be  per- 


104  LECTURE    SIXTH. 

sons  who  will  desire  to  perform  for  them  that  office, 
and  yields  additional  proof  that  their  death  is  to 
be  literal.  The  exultation  over  them  and  mutual 
congratulations  of  those  who  dwell  on  the  earth, 
imply  that  they  are  to  deem  them  and  their  ad- 
herents as  forever  silenced.  They  will  think  them- 
selves freed  from  the  annoyances  of  a  refutation  of 
their  principles  and  a  censure  of  their  conduct  with 
which  the  two  prophets  tormented  them. 

In  this  slaughter  all  the  witnesses  are  to  fall. 
As  the  two  symbol  witnesses  represent  all  who  are 
to  fulfil  their  office,   and  as  the  symbol  war  was 
made  on  both  of  them,  and  they  were  both  slain, 
their  death  must  be  regarded  as  symbolizing  the 
death  of  all  whom  they  represent.     There  is  no 
indication  that  any  are  to  escape.     They  are  all 
exhibited  as  dead  and  denied  a  burial,  and  all  are 
raised  and  called  to  heaven  in  a  cloud.     The  exul- 
tation of  their  enemies  at  their  slaughter  and  ex- 
posure to  the  public  gaze,  indicates  that  they  are 
to  be  regarded  as  totally  destroyed.     As  they  are 
the  same  as  the  144,000  sealed  of  all  the  tribes  of 
Israel,   the  persecution  is  to  extend  to  all  the  de- 
nominations of  the  church  that  contain  true  be- 
lievers, and  is  to  be  common  to  all  the  ten  king- 
doms.    It  implies  also  that  the  persecuting  powers 
are   to  act  in  concert,    and   agree  beforehand  in 
respect  to  the  time  of  the  slaughter,  and  the  pre- 
servation and  exposure  of  the  dead  bodies.     What 
a  tremendous  crisis  that  is  to  be  when  all  evangel- 


LECTURE    SIXTH.  105 

ical  teachers  and  confessors  who  faithfully  maintain 
allegiance  to  God,  and  refuse  submission  to  the 
usurping  powers  of  the  State,  are  thus  to  be  ex- 
terminated, and  not  an  individual  left  openl}^  to 
resist  the  wild  beast  and  false  prophet  and  to  vin- 
dicate the  rights  of  God  !  What  an  exasperation 
of  those  anti-christian  powers  it  bespeaks  !  What 
an  impious  defiance  of  the  Almighty  !  The  three 
days  and  a  half — the  period  of  the  exposure  and 
exultation — are  to  be  understood  symbolically  as 
three  and  a  half  years.  Their  resurrection  is  then 
literally,  publicly  and  miraculously  to  occur.  It  is 
not  to  spring  from  any  agency  of  their  friends,  who 
would  have  buried  them,  nor  from  any  political 
revolution,  nor  from  any  natural  cause.  The  spirit 
of  life  from  God  is  to  enter  into  them,  and  they  are 
to  stand  on  their  feet  and  overwhelm  with  fear 
those  who  witness  the  spectacle.  They  are  then  to 
hear  a  great  voice  from  heaven,  saying,  ''  Ascend 
hither;"  and  while  their  enemies  sball  behold, 
they  will  ascend  to  heaven  in  the  cloud  of  tlic 
divine  presence.  Their  assumption  to  heaven  is  to 
be  a  wholly  different  event  from  their  resurrection. 
But  like  that,  it  is  to  be,  not  the  result  of  their  ex- 
ertion or  contrivance,  nor  tlie  work  of  their  friends, 
but  of  God.  It  is  to  be  literal,  visible  and  super- 
natural. Their  resurrection  and  ascension,  tlicrc- 
fore,  are  to  be  a  public  and  stupendous  testimony 
of  God  to  their  truth  and  fidelity,  and  a  refutation 
of  the  calumnies  of  their  persecutors.     They  are  to 


106  LECTURi:    SIXTH. 

be  felt  to  be  such.  For  as  an  instant  consequence 
there  is  to  be  a  great  earthquake,  by  which  the 
tenth  of  the  city  is  to  be  thrown  down,  and  seven 
thousand  men  of  name  killed.  An  earthquake  de- 
notes a  sudden  and  violent  revolution  of  the  feel- 
ings of  a  people  in  respect  to  their  government,  in 
which  their  rulers  are  ejected  from  their  stations 
and  their  ancient  institutions  overthrown.  The 
tenth  of  the  city  is  the  tenth  of  the  hierar- 
chies denoted  by  the  great  city.  It  is  the  hie- 
rarchy, therefore,  of  one  of  the  ten  kingdoms. 
Its  fall  is  to  be  the  consequence  of  a  political 
revolution  of  a  persecuting  government  symbol- 
ized by  the  wild  beast.  The  fall  of  a  hierarchy 
is  its  fall  from  its  station  as  a  national  establish- 
ment. The  slaughter,  by  the  earthquake,  of  seven 
thousand  men  of  name,  is  the  destruction,  doubt- 
less, of  all  the  men  of  chief  station  in  that  civil 
government.  The  resurrection  and  the  ascension 
of  the  witnesses,  then,  is  to  prove  so  powerfully 
that  they  are  the  true  worshippers  of  God,  and  that 
their  persecutors  are  guilty  of  an  impious  invasion 
of  his  rights  in  assuming  authority  over  their  wor- 
ship, that  the  people  will  no  longer  submit  to  such 
a  usurped  dominion  over  their  consciences,  but  will 
hurl  from  their  stations  those  who  had  been  guilty 
of  such  arrogance.  A  similar  change  of  feeling  is 
to  extend  to  the  religious  establishment.  Its  prin- 
ciples, its  spirit  and  its  agency,  are  to  be  seen  to  be 
those  of  anti-Christ — it  is  immediately  to  sink,  in 


LECTURE    SIXTH.  107 

the  judgment  and  feeling  of  all,  to  the  rank  of  an 
apostate — its  dignitaries  are  to  be  slain  along  with 
the  tyrannical  civil  rulers — and  their  associates 
who  survive,  overwhelmed  by  these  proofs,  are  to 
give  glory  to  the  God  of  heaven  by  acknowledging 
his  exclusive  right  to  appoint  the  faith  and  homage 
of  his  creatures. 

When  these  events  shall  have  taken  place,  the 
second  woe  will  have  passed,  and  the  period  of  the 
third  woe  will  have  approached. 

And  the  seventh  angel  sounded ;  and  there  were  great  voices  in  hea- 
ven, saying,  The  kingdoms  of  this  world  are  become  the  kingdoms  of 
our  Lord,  and  of  his  Christ ;  and  he  shall  reign  for  ever  and  ever.  And 
the  four  and  twenty  elders,  which  sat  before  God  on  their  seats,  fell 
upon  their  faces,  and  worshipped  God,  saying.  We  give  thee  thanks, 
0  Lord  God  Almighty,  which  art,  and  wast,  and  art  to  come;  because 
thou  hast  taken  to  thee  thy  great  power,  and  hast  reigned.  And  the 
nations  were  angry,  and  thy  wrath  is  come,  and  the  time  of  the  dead, 
that  they  should  be  judged,  and  that  thou  shouldest  give  reward  unto 
thy  servants  the  prophets,  and  to  the  saints,  and  them  that  fear  thy 
Dame,  small  and  great ;  and  shouldest  destroy  them  which  destroy-  the 
earth.  And  the  temple  of  God  was  opened  in  heaven,  and  there  was 
seen  in  his  temple  the  ark  of  his  testament;  and  there  were  light- 
nings, and  voices,  and  thunderings,  and  an  earthquake,  and  great 
hail.— xl :  15-13. 

The  angelic  liosts  here  announce  that  tlieir  Lord 
and  his  Messiah  have  entered  on  the  empire  of  the 
world,  and  shall  reign  as  its  king  forever  and  ever. 
It  is  to  be  a  new  era,  tlierefore,  in  the  government 
of  the  earth,  the  commencement  by  Christ  of  a 
widely  different  and  an  eternal  administration. 
The  great  acts  that  are  to  mark  its  introduction  are 
celebrated  by  the  elders.  They  give  thanks  to  the 
Self-existcut,  the  Eternal  and  the  Almighty — that 


108  LECTURE    SIXTH. 

he  has  exercised  his  supreme  right  through  the 
long  period  from  the  creation,  during  which  the 
nations  were  angry — that  the  time  is  come  to  show 
his  wrath  at  their  rebellion — to  judge  and  to  re- 
ward his  servants  and  to  destroy  those  who  destroy 
the  earth.  The  holy  dead  are  now  to  he  raised 
from  the  grave,  freed  in  full  from  the  penalty  of 
sin,  and  publicly  adopted  as  heirs  of  his  kingdom. 
The  living  who  fear  his  name,  both  small  and 
great,  are  to  be  placed  under  a  now  administration 
and  to  receive  the  gift  of  transfiguration  promised 
to  those  who  shall  be  living  at  his  advent.  The 
opening  of  the  inner  temple  and  the  exhibition  of 
the  ark  of  the  covenant,  denote,  probably,  that  the 
mysteries  of  the  former  administration  are  finished, 
that  thenceforth  the  reasons  of  his  conduct  are  to 
be  understood,  and  especially  that  he  is  to  reign 
visibly  to  his  people  on  earth,  complete  the  re- 
demption of  the  sanctified,  and  exalt  them  to  more 
intimate  relations  to  himself. 

The  lightnings,  voices,  thunders,  earthquake 
and  hail  that  followed,  denote  excitements  and 
revolutions  among  the  nations  and  the  descent 
among  them  of  destroying  judgments. 

The  seventh  trumpet,  then,  is  to  be  followed  by 
three  momentous  events — first,  the  beginning  of 
the  visible  reign  of  Christ ;  second,  the  resurrection 
of  all  the  pious  dead  and  the  acceptance  of  all  the 
righteous  living  to  the  honors  of  his  kingdom  ;  and 
third,  the  destruction  of  the  wild  beast  and  false 


LECTURE    SIXTH.  109 

prophet  and  all  tlieir  wicked  supporters.  All  tliese 
events  may  occupy  a  long  period  in  tlieir  accom- 
plishment. The  seventh  trumpet,  the  seventh  vial 
and  the  sixth  seal,  all  foreshadow  the  same  gene- 
ral events. 

This  view  is  confirmed  by  Daniel  vii :  13,  14^  18, 
22,  21 ;  1  Cor.  xv  :  51  ;  1  Thes.  iv  :  15.  The  wicked 
dead  will  remain  for  the  present  in  their  graves  ! 

10 


/ 


LECTURE   SEYENTH. 


REVELATIONS,  CHAPTER  XII. 

And  there  appeared  a  great  wonder  in  heaven  ;  a  woman  clothed 
with  the  sun,  and  the  moon  under  her  feet,  and  upon  her  head  a  crown 
of  twelve  stars  :  and  she  being  with  child  cried,  travailing  in  birth, 
and  pained  to  be  delivered.  And  there  appeared  another  wonder  in 
heaven  ;  and  behold  a  great  red  dragon,  having  seven  heads  and  ten 
horns,  and  seven  crowns  upon  his  heads.  And  his  tail  drew  the  third 
part  of  the  stars  of  heaven,  and  did  cast  them  to  the  earth  :  and  the 
dragon  stood  before  the  woman  which  was  ready  to  be  delivered,  for 
to  devour  her  child  as  soon  as  it  was  born.  And  she  brought  forth  a 
man  child,  who  was  to  rule  all  nations  with  a  rod  of  iron  :  and  her 
child  was  caught  up  unto  God,  and  to  his  throne.  And  the  woman 
fled  into  the  wilderness,  where  she  hath  a  place  prepared  of  God,  that 
they  should  feed  her  there  a  thousand  two  hundred  and  threescore 
days. — Hev.  xii  :  1-6. 

The  woman  is  the  representative  of  the  true 
people  of  God.  This  is  evident  from  the  persecu- 
tion she  endures  from  the  dragon,  her  flight  into 
the  desert,  and  her  subsistence  there  through  the 
period  during  which  the  witnesses  prophecy.  The 
churcli  is  comparable  to  a  female  clad  in  the  gar- 
ments of  light.  The  sun  of  righteousness  illu- 
mines her  countenance — the  shadowy  dispensation 
of  Judaism  is  under  her  feet,  and  the  twelve  stars 
— the  doctrines  and  examples  of  the  twelve  apos- 


LECTURE    SEVENTH.  Ill 

ties — adorn  her  brow.  Possibly  tbese  ornaments 
may  indicate  merely  her  greatness,  conspicuousness 
and  majesty.  Her  cry  and  labor  to  bear,  denote 
tlie  importunate  desire  of  the  church  to  give  to  the 
empire  a  son  who  should  rise  to  supreme  power, 
rule  the  nations  with  an  iron  sceptre,  and  secure 
for  Christianity  toleration  and  peace. 

The  great  red  dragon  symbolizes  the  rulers  of 
the  Roman  empire,  the  seven  heads  denoting  the 
seven  orders  of  its  ancient  rulers,  the  ten  horns 
the  chiefs  of  the  kingdoms  into  which  its  western 
half  was  divided.  Its  sweeping  its  tail  through 
the  sky,  and  casting  one-third  of  the  stars  to  the 
earth,  represents  its  violent  dejection  of  one-third 
of  the  Christian  teachers  from  their  stations.  Its 
standing  before  the  woman  to  devour  her  offspring, 
indicates  that  the  rulers  suspected  that  the  people 
of  God  would  favor  the  elevation  to  the  throne  of 
a  Christian  prince,  and  that  their  design  was  to 
destroy  the  object  of  their  favor  as  soon  as  he 
might  be  known.  Her  bearing  a  male  child  who 
should  rule  the  nations  with  an  iron  scejjtre,  de- 
notes that  the  people  of  God  were  })artial  to  one 
who  was  a  candidate  for  the  imi)crial  throne,  and 
who  was  destined  both  to  ascend  it  and  to  repress 
their  pagan  persecutors  with  a;i  iron  sway.  His 
being  caught  up  to  God  aii<l  to  His  throne,  denotes 
that  he  was  rescued  in  u  rcniarlcablc  ujanticr  fV(»ni 
the  attenii)tR  of  the  pagnn  emperors  to  deRtroy  hinij* 
and  tliat  being  exalted  to  su[ircme  power,  he  became 


112  LECTURE     SEVENTH. 

a  usurper  of  the  rights  of  God,  and  an  ohjcct  of 
idohitrous  homage  to  his  suhjects.  That  the  wo- 
man fled  into  the  desert,  signifies  that  the  people 
of  God,  disappointed  in  their  expectation  of  a  more 
favorable  rule  from  monarchs  professing  to  be 
Christian,  and  exposed  to  greater  evils  than  they 
had  suffered  from  their  pagan  persecutors,  were 
compelled,  in  order  to  safety,  to  retire  from  the 
nationalized  church  into  seclusion.  That  she  was 
to  be  nourished  there  twelve  hundred  and  sixty 
days,  denotes  that  they  were  to  continue  in  seclu- 
sion, upheld  by  the  special  care  of  God,  through  a 
period  of  twelve  hundred  and  sixty  years.  As  the 
woman  is  the  representative  of  a  multitude  and  a 
succession  of  believers,  so  the  man-child  represents 
a  dynasty  or  succession  of  princes.  That  the  ac- 
tors and  agencies  foreshown  in  this  vision  are  not 
subsequent  to  the  seventh  trumpet,  is  manifest 
from  the  symbols.  That  trumpet  is  the  signal  of 
the  overthrow  of  the  Roman  Empire  in  its  last 
form,  and  the  establishment  of  Christ's  everlasting 
kingdom  on  earth.  But  this  symbol  exhibits  the 
government  of  that  empire  in  its  power,  as  the 
diadems — the  badges  of  imperial  rule — indicate, 
and  at  an  early  period,  as  the  woman's  seclusion 
for  twelve  huudi-ed  and  sixty  years  indicates. 
There  is  evidently,  therefore,  the  beginning  of  a 
new  chronological  series  with  this  vision.  And 
it  refers  to  the  period  of  Constantine  and  his  suc- 
cessors.    Just  before  his  accession  to  the  throne. 


LECTURE    SEVENTH.  113. 

there  was  a  period  of  persecution,  during  which, 
great  numbers  of  the  Christian  teachers  were 
struck  from  their  stations,  as  the  stars  were  swept 
by  the  dragon  from  the  sky,  and  consigned  to  the 
prisons,  to  the  mines  and  to  martyrdom.  The  peo- 
ple of  God  were  led  by  the  tolerance  of  his  father, 
to  desire  that  Constantine  might  be  elevated  to  the 
imperial  rank,  in  the  hope  that  he  would  restrain 
the  pagan  persecutions.  He  was  the  first  of  the 
series  represented  by  the  man-child.  Tlie  emper- 
ors were  alarmed  at  these  desires  of  the  Christians 
towards  Constantine,  and  at  his  kind  feelings  to- 
wards the  church,  and  attempted  to  destroy  him, 
but  he  was  extricated  from  their  plots  and  raised  to 
imperial  power.  He  became  in  that  station  a  usur- 
per of  the  rights  of  God,  by  assuming  an  absolute 
authority  over  the  religion  of  his  Christi  m  subjects. 
He  prescribed  their  faith  and  worship,  and  made 
tlieir  obligations  to  God  subordinate  to  his  contnd, 
and  dependent  on  his  will  fur  their  efficiency.  He 
assembled  synods,  and  dictated  what  topics  they 
should  discuss  and  adjudge,  and  tlien  treated  tlioir 
decrees  as  dependent  on  his  authority  for  thoir 
ratification.  He  endeavored  to  compel  his  subjects 
to  acquiesce  in  his  faitli.  To  this  end  lie  issut-d  a 
decree  prohiltiting  all  assemblies  of  dissentients 
from  the  Catholic  Church — confiscating  their  pro- 
j)erty  and  siip])ressing  their  books.  He  a(;<;onl- 
ingly  deposed  and  appointed  bishoj)s  at  his  plea- 
Bure  ;  and  he  even  banished  some  of  them  to  dis- 


114  LECTURE    SEVENTH. 

tant  provinces,  and  threatened  others  with  death. 
He  claimed  the  express  sanction  of  God  in  these 
acts,  and  thereby  arrogated  an  absolute  right  to 
legislate  over  the  laws  of  God.     He  incorporated 
the   Catholic  Church  with    the   national   govern- 
ment— constituted  himself  its  civil  head — gave  it 
the  right  to  purchase  and  hold  property — released 
its  ministers  from  liability  to  civil  offices,  from  the 
payment  of  taxes,  and  from  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
civil  courts.     He  made  provision  for  their  support 
from    the   public   treasury.     And   along  with  all 
these  usurpations,  he  introduced  a  flood  of  super- 
stitions, errors  and  idolatries,  which  debased  the 
church,  offended  the  true  worshippers,  and  forced 
them  to  withdraw  from  the  national  establishment, 
in  order  to  maintain  the  truths  of  the  gospel,  and 
to  offer  a  pure  homage.    A  body  of  the  true  people 
of  God,  thus  disappointed  in  their  hopes,  retired 
into   seclusion — continued    for    many   ages    with- 
drawn from    notoriety,  and   still   subsist  in  total 
separation   from    the  apostate   church.     Such  are 
the  Waldenses  and  others  of  different  names,  but 
kindred  faith.     They  have  had  a  ministry  of  their 
own,   consisting  only  of  elders  and  deacons,   and 
perpetuated  by  their  own  ordination.     They  have 
held  the  great  doctrines  of  the  gospel,  as  evangeli- 
cal Protestants  now  hold  them,  and  have  been  dis- 
tinguished for  simplicity,  purity  and  piety  of  man- 
•  ners  ;    and  finally  they  have  been  preserved  and 
nourished  in  the  valleys  of  the  Alps  and  elsewhere, 


I 


LECTURE    SEVENTH.  115 

by  the  peculiar  care  of  Divine  Providence.  "With 
the  exception  of  the  Jews,  no  people  have  ever 
been  preserved  through  so  vast  a  period  without  a 
change  of  institutions,  principles,  or  manners. 

And  there  was  war  in  heaven :  Michael  and  his  angels  fought  against 
the  dragon ;  and  the  dragon  fought  and  Lis  angels,  and  prevailed  not ; 
neither  was  their  place  found  any  more  in  heaven.  And  the  great 
dragon  was  cast  out,  that  old  serpent,  called  the  devil,  and  Satan, 
which  deceiveth  the  whole  world  :  he  was  cast  out  into  the  earth,  and 
his  angels  were  cast  out  with  him.  And  I  heard  a  loud  voice  saying 
in  heaven,  Now  is  come  salvation,  and  strength,  and  the  kin^jdom  of 
our  God,  and  the  power  of  his  Christ:  for  the  accuser  of  our  brethren 
is  cast  down,  which  accused  them  before  our  God  day  and  night.  And 
they  overcame  him  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  and  by  the  word  of  their 
testimony  ;  and  they  loved  not  their  lives  unto  the  death.  Therefore 
rejoice,  ye  heavens,  and  ye  that  dwell  in  them.  Woe  to  the  inhabiters 
of  the  earth  and  of  the  sea!  for  the  devil  is  come  down  unto  you,  hav- 
ing great  wrath,  because  he  RLOwelh  that  he  hath  but  a  short  time. 
— xii :  7-12. 

This  serpent  is  obviously  a  different  being  from 
the  great  red  dragon  which  endeavored  to  devour 
the  man-child.    He  is  not  said  to  have  seven  heads, 
ten    horns,    a  tail   that  swept  the  stars,   and  an 
appetite  for  fle.sli.     Instead  of  this,  he  is  called  tho 
old  serpent,  the  devil  and  Satan,  that  deceiveth  the 
whole  worhl— tiths  tliat  belong  only  to  the  great 
apostate  spirit,     lie  has  subordinates  of  a  similar 
nature  also,  that  fight  uii(hr  his  standard — while 
his  opponents  are  Micliucl,   tlie  archangel,  and  his 
subordinate  angels.     Here,  tlicn,  are  two  classes  of 
spirits  exhibited  as  waging  war  with  each  otlier  in 
heaven.     Ratan  and  his  hosts,   unable  to  maintain 
their  ground,  are  at  Icngtli  driven  from  heaven  and 


116  LECTURE    SEVENTH. 

dejected  to  the  earth.  That  they  are  both  repre- 
sentatives of  men,  is  clear  from  the  song  in  heaven 
which  exhibits  the  conquerors  as  not  loving  their 
lives  unto  death — a  remark  suited  to  men  and  mar-- 
tyrs,  not  to  angels — and  as  overcoming  their  ad- 
versaries by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  and  by  the  word 
of  their  testimony — language  which  is  predicable 
only  of  witnesses  for  God  and  believers  in  Christ. 
Michael  and  his  angels,  therefore,  are  symbols  of 
believers  in  Christ — who  gain  a  victory  by  faith  in 
his  blood,  by  proclaiming  his  word  and  by  submit- 
ting to  martyrdom  rather  than  swerve  from  fidelity 
to  him.  And  the  victory  is  thought  to  indicate 
the  approach  of  the  kingdom  of  God  and  the  tri- 
umphant reign  of  Christ.  Satan  and  his  angels, 
on  the  other  hand,  symbolize  unbelievers  and  pagan 
priests,  who  try  by  contradiction  or  persecution  to 
destroy  their  testimony  and  to  maintain  the  su- 
premacy of  idolatry.  Inasmuch  as  Satan  accused 
their  brethren  before  God,  the  question  between 
them  must  have  been  one  of  religion,  not  of  politi- 
cal power. 

The  kingdom  of  God  chanted  by  the  voice  from 
heaven  as  at  hand,  is  evidently  that  in  which  Mes- 
siah is  to  reign.  That  chant  was  uttered  by  the 
victors,  and  indicates  that  the  church  was  to  regard 
its  growth  to  a  majority  as  insuring  the  speedy 
advent  of  Christ.  The  heavens  summoned  to  re- 
joice are  the  new  heavens — the  symbol  of  the  risen 
and  glorified  saints,  who  are  to  descend  with  the 


LECTUKE     SEVENTH.  117 

Redeemer  and  reign  with  him  as  kings.  They 
who  dwell  in  those  heavens  are  the  sanctified  na- 
tions who  are  to  live  under  their  sway.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  land  and  the  sea  on  which  the  woe 
is  denounced,  denote  the  nations  at  rest  and  in  agi- 
tation prior  to  the  estahlishment  of  that  millennial 
kingdom.  That  the  descent  of  Satan  and  his  an- 
gels was  to  be  a  woe  to  the  earth  and  to  the  sea, 
indicates  that  the  decline  of  the  pagan  party  into 
a  minority  was  to  exasperate  its  priests  and  rulers 
and  lead  them  to  more  violent  methods  to  over- 
whelm their  antagonists.  The  period  of  this  con- 
test was  anterior  to  the  retreat  of  the  church  into 
the  wilderness  and  the  commencement  of  the  twelve 
hundred  and  sixty  years. 

This  angel  war,  tlicn,  was  symholic  of  the  strug- 
gle between  the  faithful  teachers  of  the  gospel,  on 
the  one  hand,  and  the  pagan  priests  and  perse- 
cuting rulers  on  the  other,  in  behalf  of  their  re- 
spective religions.  It  occurred  just  before  Con- 
stantine  ascended  the  throne,  and  resulted  in  his 
espousal  of  the  cause  of  the  Christians  and  in  the 
rejection  of  paganism  as  the  religion  of  the  State. 
The  very  cruelties  of  the  heatlien,  and  the  con- 
stancy, meekness  and  joy  of  the  Cliristians,  tended 
to  produce  this  result.  Ijoth  parties  considered 
the  ([uestion  at  issue  in  the  contest  to  be,  whicli  of 
their  religions  was  genuine  and  to  prevail.  The 
triumph  of  the  gospt'l  and  tlic  legal  recognition  of 
Christianity  by  Constantino  inspired  a  general  per- 


118  LECTURE    SEVENTH. 

suasion  that  the  happy  period  denoted  by  tho  mil- 
lennium was  at  hand.  Historians  describe  the 
church  as  uniting  in  thanksj^ivlngs  for  deliverance 
and  congratulations  at  the  overthrow  of  idolatry 
and  the  speedy  approach  of  Christ's  kingdom.  At 
the  same  time,  the  prediction  of  a  woe  to  the  land 
and  sea  had  a  signal  fulfillment  in  the  increased 
violence  of  pagan  chiefs  towards  their  subjects  to 
prevent  their  submission  to  the  victorious  faith. 
The  dying  struggles  of  paganism  were  fitly  prefig- 
ured by  the  language,  '^for  the  devil  is  come  down 
unto  you,  having  great  wrath,  because  he  knoweth 
that  he  hath  but  a  short  time." 

And  when  the  dragon  saw  that  he  was  cast  unto  the  earth,  he 
persecuted  the  woman  which  brought  forth  the  man  child.  And 
to  the  woman  were  given  two  wings  of  a  great  eagle,  that  she 
might  fly  into  the  wilderness,  into  her  place,  where  she  is  nourished 
for  a  time,  and  times,  and  half  a  time,  from  the  face  of  the  serpent. 
And  the  serpent  cast  out  of  his  mouth  water  as  a  flood  after  the  woman, 
that  he  might  cause  her  to  be  carried  away  of  the  flood.  And  the 
earth  helped  the  woman  ;  and  the  earth  opened  her  mouth,  and  swal- 
lowed up  the  flood  which  the  dragon  cast  out  of  his  mouth.  And  the 
dragon  was  wroth  with  the  woman,  and  went  to  make  war  with  the 
remnant  of  her  seed,  which  keep  the  commandments  of  God,  and  have 
the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ.— xii :  13-17. 

The  dragon  who  followed  (sStcol?)  the  woman  sym- 
bolizes the  pagan  priests  and  their  abettors,  who 
had  been  defeated  in  their  attempt  to  maintain  their 
idol-worship,  and  had  fallen  into  the  minority. 
Their  following  after  her  (not  persecuting  her)  de- 
notes their  attempt  to  join  her  society  by  a  profes- 
sion of  Christianity. 

The  serpent  that  cast  water  from  its  mouth  was 


LECTURE    SEVENTH.  119 

not  the  devil  that  fought  with  Michael,  the  symbol 
of  the  pagan  party,  but  the  monster  dragon  of 
seven  heads,  that  denoted  tlie  civil  rulers.  This  is 
apparent  from  that  act  which  is  appropriate  to  an 
inhabitant  of  water,  but  not  to  an  angelic  being. 
It  represents  the  rulers  of  the  Roman  empire, 
therefore,  from  the  elevation  of  Constantino  on- 
wards— embracing  both  the  western  and,  the  eastern 
dynasties. 

The  gift  to  the  woman  of  the  wings  of  an  eagle 
denotes,  that  aids  were  granted  her  in  her  flight 
that  were  supernatural    and   peculiarly  suited  to 
bear  her  above  the  dangers  with  which  she  was 
threatened  by   the   intrusion  of  pagans   into   the 
church.     As  the  wings  were  an  addition  to  her 
body  and  became  a  part  of  her  nature,  they  denote 
not  an  exterior  instrument,  but  gifts  that  formed  a 
part   of  herself — intellectual    and   spiritual    gifts, 
therefore,  as  knowledge,  faith,  wisdom,  constancy 
and  love,  by  which  she  was  borne  above  the  torrent 
of  false  doctrines  and  superstitious  rites  in  which 
the  dragon  aimed  to  ingulf  her.     Tiiese  false  doc- 
trines were  symbolized  by  the  flood  of  water  cast 
from  the  dragon's  moutli.     The  earth  which  ab- 
sorbed that  flood    and    thus   helped   the  woman, 
denotes  the  people  generally  of  the  empire.     By 
eagerly  embracing  the  religion  thus  adulterated  to 
their  taste,  and  by  their  exulting  reception  of  its 
pomps,  they  occupied  the  attention  of  tho  rulers, 
and  allowed  the  small  body  of  diasentcra  to  CHcupc 


120  LECTURE    SEVENTH. 

from  their  sight.  Her  retreat  into  her  place  from 
the  face  of  the  serpent,  denotes  that  the  scene  of  her 
residence  was  unknown  to  the  nilers.  The  anger 
of  the  serpent  indicates  their  continued  disposition 
to  destroy  her  if  in  their  power,  while  its  going  on 
to  make  war  with  the  rest  of  her  seed,  denotes  that 
they  continued,  after  her  disappearance,  to  perse- 
cute the  isolated  individuals  that  from  time  to  time 
dissented  from  the  corrupt  church  and  professed 
the  pure  faith. 

The  phrase,  ''a  time,  times  and  half  a  time/' 
the  period  during  which  the  woman  was  nour- 
ished in  the  wilderness,  denotes  twelve  hundred 
and  sixty  years — i.  e.,  a  year,  two  years  and 
half  a  year=twelve  hundred  and  sixty  days,  re- 
presenting as  many  years.  These  symbols,  then, 
indicate,  that  on  the  usurpation  by  Constantine 
and  his  successors  of  authority  over  the  church, 
the  pure  worshippers  began  to  dissent,  to  withdraw 
from  the  public  assembly  and  to  worship  apart ; 
that  on  the  nationalization  of  the  church  a  crowd 
of  pagans  soon  entered  it ;  that  a  vast  torrent  of 
corrupt  doctrines  and  rites  was  introduced  into  its 
faith  and  worship  by  the  emperors  and  their  sub- 
ordinates, that  threatened  to  bear  away  the  true 
people  of  God,  from  the  impulse  of  which  they 
were  signally  protected  ;  that  a  body  of  them  re- 
tired from  the  observation  of  the  rulers,  into  a 
place  where  they  were  sustained  for  a  long  period, 
and  that  the  rulers  continued  to  wreak  their  mal- 


LECTURE    SEVENTH.  121 

ice  on  the  individuals  w^lio  rose  occasionally  in  the 
empire  and  dissented  from  the  popular  faith. 

All  these  symhols,  as  thus  explained,  had  a  sig- 
nal fulfillment,  from  Constantine  through  a  long 
succession  of  ages.     History  shows — 

1,  Tliat  when  the  church  became  nationalized,  a 
vast  body  of  pagans  entered  it,  and  thus  verified 
the  prediction,  that  after  being  cast  to  the  earth 
they  would  follow  the  woman.  Eusebius  speaks  of 
'*  the  indescribable  hypocrisy  of  those  who  entered 
the  church  and  deceitfully  assumed  the  Christian 
name."  Christianity  became  the  religion  of  the 
court,  and  a  profession  of  it  a  passport  to  office 
and  honor.  Corruption  was  the  legitimate  conse- 
quence. 

2.  That  Constantine  and  his  successors  introdu- 
ced a  flood  of  false  doctrines  into  the  cliurch  which 
swept  thousands  into  the  vortex  of  apostacy.  Such 
were  the  veneration  of  the  cross,  the  homage  of 
relics,  the  invocation  of  saints,  the  conversion  of 
religion  into  gorgeous  ceremonies,  the  encourage- 
ment of  celibacy,  and  the  arrogation  of  the  riglits 
of  God  by  civil  and  ecclesiastical  rulers. 

'A.  That  soon  after  tlicse  superstitions  began  to 
prevail,  (iod  raised  up  many  who  disapproved  of 
them,  and  when  cftbrts  were  made  to  coerce  them 
into  the  adoption  of  these  false  views  and  practices, 
they  submitted  to  various  forms  of  persecution, 
rather  than  renounce  their  ])rimitive  faith.  They 
were  deposed  from  their  stations,  subjected  to  tor- 
11 


122  LECTURE    SEVENTH. 

ture,  deprived  of  tlieir  goods,  banished  from  their 
country,  and  many  of  them  put  to  deatli.     Finally 
as  a  body,  they  retired  into  the  wilderness. 

4.  As  it  was  by  spiritual  aids  that  the  true  wor- 
shippers were  enabled  to  resist  these  temptations, 
and  to  fly  to  the  desert^  no  specific  record  of  those 
aids  is  to  be  sought  on  the  page  of  history.  The 
facts  are,  that  a  body  of  dissenters  from  the  corrupt 
church  was  found  in  the  valleys  of  the  Alps  at  a 
later  age — that  they  are  known  from  the  testimony 
of  Catholic  writers  to  have  existed  there  as  early  as 
the  11th  century — that  it  was  then,  and  is  now 
claimed  by  themselves,  and  admitted  by  their 
enemies,  that  they  had  subsisted  there  from  a 
much  earlier  age — that  they  were  organized  into 
churches — that  they  regarded  the  Scriptures  as  a 
revelation  from  God,  and  a  rule  of  faith — that  they 
had  a  ministry  of  tlieir  own,  and  were  distinguished 
by  the  simplicity  and  purity  of  their  lives.  They 
have  been  preserved  there,  and  nourished  by  extra-  ■ 
ordinary  means. 

5.  That  the  population  at  large  received,  with 
the  utmost  eagerness,  the  corrupt  religion  dictated 
by  the  emperors.  Not  a  single  conspicuous  prelate 
appears  to  have  objected  to  their  measures.  The 
great  body  of  ecclesiastics  and  members  on  the  con- 
trary exulted  in  the  prosperity  which  seemed  thus 
to  be  bestowed  on  the  church.  This  circumstance 
satisfied  the  rulers  in  a  measure^  and  rendered  it 
easier  for  obscure  individuals  who  dissented  to  escape 


LECTURE     SEVENTH.  123 

their  notice,  and  to  retire  into  remote  solitudes. 
Here  they  have  maintained  the  pure  worship  of 
God. 

6.  That  the  existence  of  a  body  of  dissenters 
from  the  Catholic  Church  was  for  ages  unknown  to 
the  persecuting  authorities. 

7.  And,  finally,  that  they  oppressed  such  indivi- 
duals as  from  time  to  time  rejected  the  errors  of 
the  estahlished  church,  and  maintained  an  evan- 
gelical faith  and  worship.  Let  us  close  with  a  few 
reflections: 

1.  What  a  singular  vigilance  God  has  ever  kept 
over  his  church  !  Sometimes  it  has  seemed  nearly 
overwhelmed  with  destruction,  but  deliverance  has 
arisen  from  sources  whence  it  was  least  expected. 
In  seasons  of  depression,  Zion  has  often  exclaimed 
in  unbelief,  "  The  Lord  hath  forsaken  me,  and  my 
Lord  hath  forgotten  me  I"  But  his  gracious  re- 
sponse hath  been,  ''  Can  a  woman  forget  her  suck- 
ing child  that  she  should  not  have  compassion  on 
the  son  of  her  womb?  Yea,  they  may  forget,  yet 
will  I  not  forget  thee.  Behold,  I  have  graven  thee 
on  the  palms  of  my  hands  ;  thy  walls  are  con- 
tinually before  me." 

2.  Worldly  prosperity  is  often  a  snare  to  the 
church.  This  is  applicable  alike  to  individuals  and 
to  the  collective  body.  Priilc,  an  1  luxury,  and 
pomp,  follow  in  the  train  of  secular  authority  and 
of  worldly  po[)ularity.  Tiic  most  wicked  in<'n  will 
join   the  church   when    it  is  fashionable.      On   the 


124  LECTURE     SEVENTH. 

contrary,  persecution  has  been  a  great  purifier  of 
the  disciples.  It  has  caused  them  to  die  to  sin,  to 
be  crucified  to  the  world,  and  to  cherish  a  more 
intimate  communion  with  God. 

3.  As  we  are  now  free  from  this  annoyance,  let 
us  guard  against  the  insidious  smiles  of  the  world — 
the  stupifying  influence  of  fashionable  religion — 
and  since  God  does  not  chastise  us  into  holiness, 
let  us  seek  it  by  a  diligent  use  of  his  own  appointed 
means — especially  tlie  study  of  his  precious  word. 


LECTUKE   EIGHTH. 


REVELATIONS,  CHAPl'ER  XIII  :  1-10. 

And  I  stood  upon  the  sand  of  the  sea,  and  saw  a  beast  rise  up  out  of 
the  sea,  having  seven  heads  and  ten  horns,  and  upon  his  horns  ten 
crowns,  and  upon  his  heads  the  name  of  blasphemy.  And  the  beast 
which  I  saw  was  like  unto  a  leopard,  and  his  feet  were  as  the  feet  of  a 
bear,  and  his  mouth  as  the  mouth  of  a  lion  :  and  the  dragon  gave  him 
his  power,  and  his  seat,  and  great  authority.  And  I  saw  one  of  his 
heada  as  it  were  wounded  to  death ;  and  his  deadly  wound  was  healed; 
and  all  the  world  wondered  after  the  beast.  And  they  worshipped 
the  dragon  which  gave  power  unto  the  beast :  and  they  worshipped 
the  beast,  saying.  Who  is  like  unto  the  beast?  who  is  able  to 
make  war  with  him?  And  there  was  given  unto  him  a  mouth 
speaking  great  things  and  blasphemies;  and  power  was  givi.'n 
onto  him  to  continue  forty  and  two  months.  And  ho  opened 
his  moutli  in  blasphemy  against  God,  to  blaspheme  his  name,  and  his 
tabernacle,  and  them  that  dwell  in  heaven.  And  it  was  given  unto 
bim  to  make  war  with  the  saints,  and  to  overcome  them  :  and  power 
was  given  him  over  ail  kindreds,  and  tongues,  and  nations.  And  all 
that  dwell  upon  the  earth  hliall  worship  him,  whose  names  are  not 
written  in  the  book  of  life  of  the  Lamb  slain,  from  the  foundation  of 
the  world.  If  any  man  have  an  car,  let  liim  hear.  He  that  Icadoth 
into  captivity  shall  go  into  captivity  :  he  that  kiileth  with  the  sword 
must  be  killed  with  the  sword.  Hero  is  the  patience  and  the  faith  of 
the  saints. — liev.  xii  :  1-10. 

Tho  wild  beast  is  a  symbol  of  rulers.  Tljis  is 
manifest  from  tlie  budges  of  royalty  ascribed  to  it — 
crowns,  a  throne  and  great  authority.  It  is  a  sym- 
bol of  cotemporancous  rulers,  obviously,  from  its 
ten  liorns  with  tlicir  diadems,  which  represent  sc- 


126  LECTURE      EIGHTH. 

parate  dynasties.  It  symbolizes  a  combination  of 
dynasties  that  succeed  a  dominion  formerly  exer- 
cised by  the  dragon.  This  is  evident,  from  its  re- 
ceiving from  the  dragon  its  power,  its  throne  and 
great  authority.  It  is  indicated  also  by  the  seven 
heads,  which  are  representatives  of  the  same  spe- 
cies of  rulers  that  are  symbolized  by  the  heads  of 
the  dragon.  That  dragon,  you  will  remember, 
wore  the  diadems  on  his  heads,  (xii :  3)  this  wild 
beast,  rising  from  the  sea,  wears  them  on  his  horns 
(verse  1).  This  change  denotes  that  those  orders 
of  supreme  rulers  which  the  seven  heads  repre- 
sented, are  no  longer  in  authority,  but  are  suc- 
ceeded by  the  new  dynasties  prefigured  by  the 
horns.  In  other  words,  both  the  beast  of  this 
chapter,  and  that  of  chapter  xii:  3  represent  the 
rulers  of  the  Roman  Empire  ;  but  that  refers  to  it 
as  governed  by  seven  orders  of  rulers — this,  as  di- 
vided among  ten  kingdoms.  The  body  of  the  wild 
beast  was  like  a  leopard's,  its  feet  like  a  bear's,  and 
its  mouth  like  a  lion's — a  union  of  the  utmost 
agility,  with  the  greatest  strength  to  grasp  and  ap- 
petite to  devour.  All  this  indicated  a  combination 
of  aggressive,  bloody  and  insatiable  tyrants.  That 
one  of  its  heads  was  wounded  to  death,  and  its 
death- wound  healed,  denotes  that  one  of  the  suc- 
cessions of  rulers  symbolized  by  its  heads,  was  cut 
off  by  the  sword,  and  supplanted  by  one  of  the 
others  for  a  time,  but  afterwards  restored.  That 
the  whole  earth  wondered  after  the  beast,  indicates 


LECTURE    EIGHTH.  12T 

that  the  whole  population  of  the  ten  kingdoms  re- 
garded the  monarchs  whom  it  represents,  with  ad- 
miration and  awe,  and  eulogized  the  heroism  of 
their  exploits  and  the  wisdom  of  their  rule.  That 
they  worshipped  the  dragon  because  it  gave  it  au- 
thority _,  implies  that  they  regarded  the  important 
rights  which  tlieir  monarchs  exercised  as  derived 
from  tlie  dragon,  and  as  lawfully  assumed  by  them 
because  they  had  been  arrogated  and  exercised  by 
that  ancient  rule.  That  their  ascriptions  to  the 
dragon  and  wild  beast  of  that  authority  as  legiti- 
mate was  worship,  denotes  that  the  assumption  of 
that  authority  was  an  arrogatiou  of  the  preroga- 
tives of  God,  and  their  assent  to  it,  therefore,  the 
ascription  to  them  of  a  homage  due  only  to  Him, 
That  arrogation  of  His  rights  is  denoted  also  by 
tlie  names  of  blaspliemy  on  tlie  heads  of  the 
dragon,  and  by  tlie  blasphemies  of  His  name, 
whicli  the  wild  beast  is  represented  as  uttering. 
The  name  of  God  is  descriptive  of  what  he  is  in 
his  relations  to  his  creatures,  and  is  the  symbol 
tlience  of  his  ])eculiar  attributes  and  prerogatives. 
The  wild  beasts'  l)la.s[)lieniy  of  his  name,  then,  is 
its  denial  to  him  of  his  peculiar  prerogatives,  and 
the  claiming  of  tliem  as  its  own.  The  tabernacle 
was  the  tent  erected  by  the  command  of  God,  as 
the  place  of  offering  tlie  worship  which  he  enjoined. 
The  inner  sanctuary  syinbolized  the  heaven  in 
which  he  manifests  himself  and  receives  tlie  hom- 
age of  the  spirits  of  the  just  made  perfect,  and  of 


128  LBCTURB      EIGHTH. 

the  angelic  hosts.  The  main  sanctuary,  in  which 
worship  was  offered  hy  the  priests  and  Levites,  re- 
presented the  places  in  which  the  ministers  of  tho 
Christian  Church  presented  acceptable  worship. 
To  calumniate  his  tabernacle,  therefore,  was  to  as- 
cribe to  it  something  inconsistent  with  its  office, 
and  detracting  from  his  honor.  Of  this  kind  was 
the  representation  of  the  heavens  as  the  residence 
of  other  beings  besides  himself  who  are  entitled  to 
worship.  Such  also  is  the  declaration  that  edifices 
in  which  idols  are  placed,  and  in  which  homage  is 
paid  to  other  objects  than  God,  are  the  proper 
places  of  the  worship  which  the  church  on  earth  is 
to  offer.  To  blaspheme  those  who  dwell  in  heaven 
was  in  like  manner  to  calumniate  them  as  claiming 
the  attributes  and  prerogatives  of  God,  and  as  de- 
siring and  receiving  a  religious  homage  that  is  due 
only  to  him.  That  it  was  given  to  it  to  make  war 
with  the  saints  and  to  overcome  them,  denotes  that 
it  persecuted  the  pure  worshippers  who  refused 
submission  to  its  claims,  and  inflicted  on  them 
what  evils  it  pleased.  That  it  had  authority  over 
every  tribe  and  people,  and  tongue  and  nation,  and 
was  worshipped  by  all,  except  the  true  people  of 
God^  signifies  that  all  the  nations  ruled  over  by 
the  monarchies  which  it  represents,  submitted  to 
their  arrogations  of  the  rights  of  God,  and  that 
none  dissented,  and  acknowledged  and  vindicated 
the  prerogatives  of  the  Almighty,  but  those  whose 
names  were  written  in  the  Lamb's  book  of  life. 


LECTURE    EIGHTH.  129 

That  he  who  led  into  captivity  was  himself  to  be- 
come a  captive  ;  and  he  that  slew  with  the  sword 
must  himself  be  slain,  indicates  that  those  who 
should  defend  themselves  by  force  against  the  reli- 
gious tyranny  of  those  monarchies,  would  be  de- 
feated in  their  endeavors,  and  involve  themselves 
in  the  very  evils  they  attempted  to  escape.  That 
here  is  the  faith  and  the  patience  of  the  saints,  de- 
notes that  the  true  witnesses  of  God  were  not,  in 
fulfilling  their  office,  to  resort  to  violence  for  deliv- 
erance from  those  persecuting  tyrants,  and  for  the 
maintenance  of  religious  freedom,  but  in  meekness 
and  faith  content  themselves  with  uttering  that 
testimony  for  God,  which  he  has  promised  to  make 
a  devouring  fire  to  their  enemies. 

The  period  of  the  wild  beasts'  triumphant  au- 
thority, like  that  of  the  woman  in  the  desert  and 
the  witnesses,  was  to  be  forty-two  months,,  the 
symbol  of  twelve  hundred  and  sixty  years.  All 
these  characteristics  meet  most  conspicuously  in 
the  Gothic  rulers,  who  establi.shed  governments  in 
the  Western  Roman  Empire  in  tiie  fifth  century, 
and   their  successors   and  subjects  to   the  present 

time. 

The  emergence  of  the  wild  beast  from  the  sea  is 
not  to  be  regarded  as  having  been  accomplished  in 
a  brief  space.  It  occuj)ie(l  such  a  period  as  would 
be  required  for  many  Kej)arate  tribes  to  come  from 
a  distance,  to  engage  in  numerous  wars,  and 
finally,  after  victory,   to  establish    new  and   indc- 


130  LECTURE      EIGHTH. 

pendent  governments.  Nor  are  the  cliiefs  who 
ruled  over  parts  of  the  empire  to  be  considered  as 
symbolized  by  the  horns  while  they  remained — as 
in  France  for  a  long  time — in  subordination  to 
Kome.  They  emerged  from  the  sea  as  dynasties 
when  they  became  rulers  of  portions  of  the  empire 
in  independence  of  that  power.  The  institution  of 
the  horns,  therefore,  took  ])lace  at  different  periods, 
and  they  represented  those  who  subsisted  when  the 
conquest  of  the  empire  was  completed,  and  the  im- 
perial power  extinguished.     History  teaches  : 

1.  That  on  the  conquest  of  Italy  and  termina- 
tion of  imperial  rule,  A.  D.  476,  the  barbarians 
held  nearly  the  whole  Western  Empire,  and  were 
distributed  under  ten  kingly  governments,  viz: 
the  Vandals,  the  Suevi,  the  Visigoths,  the  Alans, 
the  Burgundians,  the  Franks,  the  Britons,  the  Os- 
trogoths, the  Lombards,  and  the  Heruli.  These 
separate  dynasties  are  united  in  one  symbol,  and 
exhibited  as  one  great  combination  of  usurping  ty- 
rants, from  the  similarity  of  their  claims,  policy 
and  rulers.  They  all  adopted,  to  a  great  degree, 
the  laws  of  the  ancient  empire  as  their  common 
law.  They  united  in  the  same  usurpation  of  di- 
vine rights,  in  imposing  the  same  false  religion  on 
their  subjects,  and  in  similar  hatred  to  the  true 
people  of  God.  They  all  nationalized  the  church, 
and  all  persecuted  dissenters.  So  much  for  the 
ten  horns. 

2.  That  these  rulers  were  to  their  subjects  in 


LECTURE      EIGHTH.  131 

strength,  ferocity  and  bloodiness,  what  an  animal 
would  be  to  its  victim,  that  united  in  itself,  the 
agility  of  the  leopard,  the  strength  of  the  bear, 
and  the  voracity  of  the  lion. 

3.  That  after  the  decease  of  Constantine,  the 
succession  of  Christian  emperors,  represented  by 
the  seventh  head  of  the  wild  beast,  was  inter- 
rupted by  the  death  of  all  those  of  the  family  who 
might  naturally  have  continued  the  succession. 
The  sceptre,  therefore,  descended  to  Julian,  the 
apostate,  the  only  surviving  male  of  the  family  en- 
titled to  it.  Immediately  after  his  accession  to  the 
throne  he  publicly  disavowed  Christianity,  re- 
established the  worship  of  idols,  and  endeavored 
to  render  it  again  tlie  popular  and  national  faith. 
Thus  one  of  the  heads  of  the  wild  beast  was,  as  it 
were,  wounded  to  death.  After  a  reign  of  only 
eighteen  months,  however,  lie  was  removed  by 
death,  and  the  wound  of  the  seventh  head  was 
healed  by  the  elevation  to  the  throne  of  Jovian,  a 
Christian.  From  this  time,  the  line  of  Christian 
emperors  continued  until  the  supreme  jjower  j)assed 
irom  the  Komaris  to  the  Goths  in  the  West,  and  to 
the  Turks  at  Constantinople. 

4.  That  the  ]K)]iulation  of  the  empire  regarded 
their  rulers  with  awe  and  admiration.  The  com- 
mon people,  sunk  for  ages  to  the  most  degraded 
vassalage,  revered  the  monarchs,  the  various  ranks 
of  nobles,  and  their  armed  followers,  as  a  superior 
race,  while  poets  and  historians  celebrated  their 


132  LECTURE    EIGHTH. 

warlike  exploits,  and  philosophers  and  priests  jus- 
tified their  usurpations,  and  eulogized  the  wisdom 
and  benignity  of  their  rule.  Thus  all  the  world 
wondered  after  the  beast. 

5.  The  people  of  these  kingdoms  sui)posed  their 
monarchs  to  have  derived  important  rights  from 
the  rulers  of  the  ancient  empire,  symbolized  by  the 
heads  of  the  dragon,  and  to  be  authorized  by  their 
example  to  arrogate  the  same  powers  that  they 
had  assumed.  Thus  they  approved  of  their  adopt- 
ing the  laws  of  the  empire,  in  respect  to  ecclesias- 
tical affairs,,  and  justified  by  the  example  of  the 
emperors,  their  usurpation  of  authority  over  the 
church,  and  their  persecution  of  dissenters.  Thus 
the  dragon  gave  to  the  wild  beast  his  power,  and 
his  seat  (throne)  and  great  authority. 

6.  The  ancient  Koman  rulers  and  the  Gothic 
monarchs  were  guilty  of  blasphemy  against  God, 
by  usurping  authority  over  his  rights  and  laws. 
They  rescinded  his  commands  and  institutions,  in- 
troduced a  different  code,  established  new  religious 
rites,  constituted  creatures,  images  and  relics  ob- 
jects of  worship  ;  appointed  new  mediators  and 
modes  of  sanctification,  and  hunted  with  fire  and 
sword  those  who  refused  submission  to  their  will. 
As  God  claims  exclusive  control  over  the  faith  and 
conscience  of  the  creature,  those  who  set  up  a 
counter  claim  accuse  him  of  usurpation.  Thus  the 
beast  opened  his  mouth  in  blasphemy  against  God 
to  blaspheme  his  name. 


LECTURE     EIGHTH.  133 

7.  The  rulers  symbolized  by  the  wild  beast  tra- 
duced the  tabernacle  of  God.  They  calumniated 
the  heavens  of  the  divine  presence  by  exhibiting 
them  as  the  residence  of  many  other  beings  than 
God,  that  are  entitled  to  divine  worship.  Such 
were  the  saints  and  angels  whom  they  invoked. 
By  ascribing  to  them  the  attributes  of  God,  and 
representing  them  as  dwelling  in  heaven  and  enti- 
tled to  worship  along  with  the  self-existent  and 
eternal  Being,  they  blasphemed  the  tabernacle  of 
God. 

8.  They  traduced  the  places  for  worship  on 
earth,  by  representing  them  to  be  only  such  as 
were  consecrated  b}'  superstitious  rites,  and  de- 
voted to  tlie  worship  of  saints,  of  angels,  of  relics, 
and  J)f  inanimate  beings.  Worship  was  not  al- 
lowed to  be  offered,  except  in  edifices  consecrated 
to  that  use,  nor  were  edifices  allowed  to  be  conse- 
crated except  by  the  celebration  of  the  mass. 

9.  They  blasphemed  those  who  dwell  in  heaven, 
by  representing  the  spirits  of  the  just,  and  the  an- 
gelic orders  as  arrogating  the  rights  of  God^  and 
seeking  and  receiving  from  men  the  homage  duo 
only  to  Ilim.  In  legalizing  the  worshi])  of  thoso 
beings,  they  proceeded  on  the  assuni])ti()n  that 
they  acquiesced  in  it  as  suited  to  their  nature  and 
station,  and  accused  them,  therefore,  of  usurping 
the  tlirone  and  j)rerogativc8  of  God,  and  demand- 
ing a  homage  as  deities.     This  was  to  ascribe  to 

12  • 


134  LECTURE    EIGHTH. 

them  the  greatest  impiety  of  which  creatures  can 
he  guilty. 

10.  They  persecuted  the   true  people  of   God, 
and  inflicted  on  them  the  most  Avanton  and  atro- 
cious cruelties.     They  formally  nndertook  to  exe- 
cute the  decrees  of  the  councils  and  bishops  against 
dissenters.     In  every  age  the  ecclesiastics  devolved 
on   them  the  execution  of  their  sentences  to  im- 
prisonment, confiscation,  exile  and  death.     It  was 
the  civil  powers  that  hurned  the  martyrs  in  the 
south  of  France  in  1017— that  slaughtered  the  Al- 
bigenses  and  Waldenses  in  the  twelfth  and  follow- 
ing centuries — that  persecuted  the  Wicldiffites  and 
Lollards  in  England — that  committed   Huss  and 
Jerome  of  Germany  to  the  flames,  and  that  put  to 
death  the  vast  crowd  of  martyrs  in  various  Euro- 
pean  countries  in   the  sixteenth  and  seventeenth 
centuries.     Thus  it  was  given  unto  the  beast  to 
make  war  with  the  saints,  and  to  overcome  them, 
even  among  all  kindreds,  and  tongues  and  nations. 
11.  Whoever  attempted  to  deliver  themselves  by 
force  from  this  religious  tyranny  were  involved  in 
a  still  deeper  destruction.     The  Albigenses  were 
almost  exterminated  by  the  armies  against  which 
they  attempted  to  defend  themselves.     The  small 
number  which  remained  after   the  devastation  of 
their  fields  and  cities,  were  either  forced  to  con- 
form to  the  Catholic  church,  or  driven  into  other 
lands.     The   Waldenses   perished   in   far   greater 
numbers  by  the  sword,  in  their  struggles  for  free- 


LECTURE    EIGHTH.  135 

dom,  than  by  the  fires  of  martyrdom,  and  sunk, 
after  their  contests,  to  a  still  more  hopeless  vassal- 
age. A  resort  to  the  sword  by  the  Bohemians  and 
Huguenots  of  France  to  defend  their  religious 
freedom,  resulted,  after  vast  slaughters,  in  their 
entire  subjection  to  the  tyranny  from  which  they 
souglit  deliverance.  And  the  Protestants  of  Swit- 
zerland, Holland,  Great  Britain,  and  other  nations, 
who  succeeded  in  resisting  their  ancient  tyrants, 
instead  of  securing  religious  liberty,  only  placed 
themselves  under  Protestant  instead  of  Catholic 
masters.  Thus  he  that  killed  with  the  sword  was 
himself  also  killed  by  the  sword. 

12.  The  true  witnesses  of  God  exhibited  their 
patience  and  faith,  by  meekly  enduring  the  cruel- 
ties inflicted  on  them,  and  contenting  themselves 
with  the  utterance  of  tlieir  testimony.  Of  the 
hundreds  of  thousands  who  were  called  tliruugh 
twelve  centuries  to  maintain  their  allegiance  to 
God  at  the  peril  of  their  lives,  the  number  who 
faltered  was  comparatively  small.  And  of  those 
who,  under  the  agonies  of  the  scourge  and  the 
rack,  recanted,  or  promised  to  recant,  a  large  i)ro- 
p(jrtion,  on  being  released  from  tlie  sufferings  that 
overcame  them,  ultjured  their  recantation,  re- 
professed  the  religion  of  Clirist,  and  met  with 
firmness  the  hideous  deatli  to  which  they  were  im- 
mediately hurried,  in  many  instances  the  young, 
the  delicate,  the  bcjaiitiriil,  the  cultivated,  endured 
the  most  repulsive  and  shameful  tortures,  and  wel- 


136  LECTURE     EIGHTH. 

cohied  the  gibbet,  the  axe  and  the  flames,  with  a 
sublimity  of  calmness,  fortitude  and  trust  in  God 
worthy  of  the  disciples  of  Jesus.  "Here  is  the 
patience  and  the  faith  of  the  saints." 

13.  The  triumphant  career  of  the  wild  beast  as 
a  blasphemer  has  continued  through  nearly  twelve 
hundred  and  sixty  years.  Its  agency  as  a  reli- 
gious tyrant  did  not  commence  at  its  emergence 
from  the  sea,  but  at  its  full  assumption  of  au- 
thority over  religion,  its  concurrence  with  the  pope 
in  enforcing  his  false  doctrines  and  superstitions 
on  its  subjects,  and  in  persecuting  the  witnesses  of 
Jesus  for  their  dissent.  It  is  in  that  relation  that 
it  has  acted  as  a  blasphemer  of  God,  his  tabernacle 
and  his  saints.  On  that  it  did  not  enter  until  a 
long  period  after  its  emergence  from  the  sea. 
From  the  best  calculations,  it  seems  probable  that 
the  period  of  the  twelve  hundred  and  sixty  years  is 
drawing  to  a  close.  It  may  extend  to  the  latter 
part  of  the  j)resent  century,  but  certainly  not 
longer. 

The  commentators  who  regard  the  wild  beast  as 
symbolizing  the  Roman  Empire,  agree  that  the 
seven  heads  denote  the  seven  forms  of  its  ancient 
government :  six  of  these  are  the  kingly,  the  con- 
sular, the  dictatorial,  the  decemviral,  tlie  tribuni- 
tial,  and  the  imperial.  It  is  not  so  clear  what  cor- 
responds with  the  seventh.  Constantino  and  his 
successors  introduced  a  new  principle  into  the  gov- 
ernment, by  incorporating  Christianity  as  the  reli- 


LECTURE    EIGHTH.  13T 

gion  of  the  state.  He  made  it  an  element  of  the 
constitution  and  a  basis  of  power,  and  wrought 
thereby  a  revolution  in  the  laws  and  administra- 
tion of  the  empire.  It  was  thus  a  political  change, 
and  fitly  represented  as  one  of  the  heads  of  the 
wild  beast.  This  was,  therefore,  probably  tho 
seventh  head,  whose  wound  was  healed. 

As  my  space  forbids  the  taking  up  of  the  next 
vision  in  this  chapter,  I  will  conclude  with  a  few 
reflections. 

1.  Tlie  history  of  the  church  as  portrayed  in 
prophecy,  and  verified  in  the  lives  of  its  true  ad- 
herents, teaches  the  great  truth  that  holiness  ever 
has  met  with  opposition  in  the  world.  From  the 
hour  that  the  blood  of  Abel  cried  from  the  ground 
for  vengeance  till  the  present  day,  wicked  men 
have  hated  good  men,  because  the  works  of  the  one 
were  evil,  and  of  the  others  righteous.  The  an- 
cient prophets,  the  inspired  apostles,  the  primitive 
Christians  were  all  more  or  less  persecuted.  Mil- 
lions have  sealed  the  truth  of  their  testimony  with 
their  blood.  Tliey  have  died  rejoicing  in  tlie  pri- 
vilege of  following  their  Lord  in  his  sufferings. 
No  form  of  torture  has  been  omitted — no  influence, 
which  hope  or  fear,  or  flattery  or  force,  or  igno- 
miny or  death  could  wield,  has  been  neglected,  in 
order  to  suppress  divine  trutli. 

2.  But  the  gospel  has  still  prospered.  The  very 
means  used  to  retard  its  progress  have  tended  to 
its  diffusion.     This  fact  is  bo  generally  admitted. 


138  LECTURE    EIGHTH. 

that  It  lias  given  rise  to  a  sort  of  proverl) — "  The 
blood  of  the  martyrs  is  the  seed  of  the  church." 
When  human  governments,  on  the  contrary,  took 
the  gospel  under  their  protection,  it  immediately 
began  to  languish.  Both  these  facts  proclaim  the 
divine  origm  and  the  divine  nature  of  Ch;  i. '.  ianity. 
A  religion  must  come  from  heaven  that  can  neither 
be  sustained  by  mere  human  effort,  nor  destroyed 
by  human  opposition. 

3.  Why  is  not  the  gospel  more  opposed  by  the 
world  at  the  present  day  ?  Has  it  outlived  its  ene- 
mies, and  entrenched  itself  in  the  affections  of  so- 
ciety ?  This  is  true  only  to  a  partial  extent.  The 
world  is  still  hostile  to  pure  religion.  The  carnal 
mind  is  yet  enmity  against  God.  Why  then  is 
there  not  more  collision  ?  It  is  because  professors 
of  the  gospel  exhibit  so  little  of  its  genuine  spirit 
— a  spirit  of  self-denial,  of  deadness  to  sin,  of  cruci- 
fixion to  the  world.  They  make  rare  and  feeble 
aggressive  efforts  on  the  kingdom  of  Satan.  They 
are  too  much  like  the  world  to  excite  its  hatred. 
The  great  mass  of  Christendom  is  sunk  into  an 
awful  state  of  formalism  and  worldliness.  But 
when  the  primitive  holiness  of  the  church  shall  be 
restored,  and  its  members  assume  their  legitimate 
character,  opposition  will  surely  be  excited.  Could 
you  now  bear  such  effects  ?  If  you  could  not  re- 
tain both  your  Christian  profession  and  your 
worldly  popularity,  your  religious  opinions  and 
your  earthly  possessions,  your  rights  of  conscience 


LECTUREEIGHTH.  139 

and  your  personal  liberty,  wliicli  would  you  re- 
nounce? Were  it  literally  necessary  to  give  up 
father  and  mother,  brothers  and  sisters,  wife  and 
children,  houses  and  lands,  and  even  our  own  lives, 
in  order  to  be  disciples,  who  of  us  would  still  hold 
fast  to  our  integrity  ?  May  God  help  us  to  exam- 
ine ourselves  by  this  test  ! 

4.  And  if  to  professing  Christians  such  close 
and  riged  tests  are  to  be  applied,  how  clearly  is  it 
seen  that  the  destruction  of  the  openly  wicked  will 
be  complete,  inevitable  and  remediless  !  You  are 
now  '■'lost/'  ''condemned  already,"  and  "the 
wrath  of  God  abidetli  "  on  you  1  But  while  the 
execution  of  the  sentence  is  suspended,  mercy  calls, 
Jesus  invites  and  intercedes,  the  Spirit  strives, 
the  promises  encourage,  and  heaven  holds  out  its 
glittering  crowns  !  Oh  !  will  you  not  submit  to 
the  authority  of  God,  and  thus  partake  of  the 
honors  and  joys  of  his  eternal  kingdom? 


LECTURE   NINTH. 


REVELATIONS,  CHArTER  XIII:   11-18;  XIV:   1-5. 

And  I  beheld  another  beast  coming  up  out  of  the  earth  ;  and  he  had 
two  horns  like  a  lamb,  and  he  spake  as  a  dragon.  And  he  exerciseth 
all  the  power  of  the  first  beast  before  him,  and  causeth  the  earth  and 
them  which  dwell  therein  to  worship  the  first  beast,  whose  deadly 
wound  was  healed.  And  he  doeth  great  wonders,  so  that  he  maketh 
fire  come  down  from  heaven  on  the  earth  in  the  sight  of  men,  And  de- 
ceiveth  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth  by  the  meaiiH  of  those  miracles 
which  he  had  power  to  do  in  the  sight  of  the  beast ;  saj'ing  to  them 
that  dwell  on  the  earth,  that  they  should  make  an  image  to  the  beast, 
which  had  the  wound  by  a  sword,  and  did  live.  And  he  had  power  to 
give  life  unto  the  image  of  the  beast,  that  the  image  of  the  beast 
should  both  speak,  and  cause  that  as  many  as  would  not  worship  the 
image  of  the  beast  should  be  killed.  And  he  causeth  all,  both  small 
and  great,  rich  and  poor,  free  and  bond,  to  receive  a  mark  in  their 
right  hand,  or  in  their  foreheads  :  And  that  no  man  might  buy  or- 
sell,  save  he  that  had  the  mark,  or  the  name  of  the  beast,  or  the  num- 
ber of  his  name.  Here  is  wisdom.  Let  him  that  hath  understanding 
count  the  number  of  the  beast ;  for  it  is  the  number  of  a  man ;  and  his 
number  i»  Six  hundred  threescore  and  six. — Bev.  xiii:  11-18. 

The  earth,  when  distinguished  from  the  sea,  de- 
notes the  pojiulation  of  an  empire  under  a  settled 
government,  prior  to  any  invasion.  And  when 
distinguished,  as  in  the  twelfth  verse,  from  those 
who  inhabit  it,  appears  to  represent  its  native 
population,  in  discrimination  from  its  conquerors. 


LECTURE     NINTH.  141 

The  ascent  of  this  wild  beast  from  the  earth,  there- 
fore^ signifies  that  it  drew  its  origin  from  the  na- 
tive population  of  the  empire-7-not  from  the  for- 
eigners who  conquered  it,  and  erected  the  ten 
kingdoms  out  of  its  ruins.  It  was  not  the  creature 
of  the  Gothic  nations.  It  sprung  not  from  their 
faith,  their  manners,  or  their  policy.  But  it  was 
generated  by  the  Latins,  Avhom  they  subdued,  and 
was  the  offspring  of  tlie  corrupt  faith,  and  the  vile 
superstition  of  that  people,  imbibed  before  their 
subjection.*  It  had  two  horns,  the  symbols  of  a 
two-fold  authority,  and  like  a  himb's,  apparently 
for  ornament  and  defence,  not  for  aggression.  But 
it  spake  as  a  dragon — an  aggressive,  carniverous 
and  merciless  brute.  It  exercises  all  the  power  of 
the  first  wild  beast — similar  power  as  a  civil  ruler 
and  tyrant  of  its  vassals — similar  power  as  an  am- 
bitious and  lawless  warrior — similar  power  as  a 
usurper  of  dominion  over  the  rights  of  God  and 
the  consciences  of  its  subjects.  And  it  exercises 
this  power  in  the  presence  of  (before)  the  ten- 
horned  wild  beast — i.  e.  simultaneously  with  it — 
by  its  allowance,  and  with  its  sanction.  It  excites 
the  earth  (the  native  Latin  i)oi)ulation),  and  those 
who  inhabit  it  (the  Gothic  nations,  who  conquered 
them),  to  worship  the  wild  beast,  whose  death 
wound  was  healed.  The  rulers  of  the  empire — 
whom  the  people  were  excited  to  worship — were 
those  who  were  rei)resented  by  the  head  that  re- 
ceived  the   death    wound.     Their   principles   and 


142  LECTURE     NINTH. 

practices  were,  therefore,  eminently  congenial  to 
those  of  this  two-horned  wild  beast.  It  works 
great  wonders.  It  produces  effects  that  seem  to 
be  miraculous,  and  by  which  it  seeks  to  prove 
the  co-operation  and  sanction  of  the  Almight}^,  as 
the  ancient  prophets  proved  their  divine  commis- 
sion by  calling  from  heaven  fire  to  consume  their 
sacrifices.  By  these  pretended  miracles  it  deceives 
those  who  dwell  on  the  earth — i.  e.  the  conquering 
nations,  into  the  belief  that  it  is  a  proj)het  of  the 
Lord,  and  through  the  influfence  thus  attained, 
prompts  them  to  make  an  image  to  the  wild  beast, 
which  has  the  wound  of  the  sword,  and  lived.  As 
this  wild  beast  syrabtilized  a  succession  of  civil  ru- 
lers, its  image  (of  the  same  form,  but  of  a  different 
nature  from  that  which  it  represents)  must  denote 
a  religious  organization.  To  prompt  tlie  Gothic 
conquerors  to  make  an  image  of  the  wild  beast, 
under  its  seventh  head,  was  to  prompt  them  to 
erect  an  ecclesiastical  government  co-extensive  with 
their  territories,  embracing  a  regular  gradation  of 
ranks,  like  the  government  of  the  empire  under 
Constantino  and  his  successors,  founded  on  like 
principles,  and  animated  by  a  similar  spirit.  Into 
the  imperial  hierarchy  which  was-  thus  erected,  it 
infused  such  power,  such  zeal,  such  ambition,  and 
such  a  unity  of  purpose,  that  it  acted  as  one  gigan- 
tic individual,  moved  by  its  own  inherent  energies, 
and  swayed  by  a  single  spirit.  It  claimed  an  ab- 
solute dominion  over    the    religion    of    the    sub- 


i 


LECTURE    NINTH.  143 

jects,  and  caused  those  who  wouhl  not  submit  to 
its  assumptims  to  be  put  to  death.  And  it  caused 
all — the  small  and  great,  the  rich  and  poor,  the 
bond  and  :rce — to  impress  on  themselves  a  mark, 
in  token  of  their  submission  to  its  claims,  and  that 
no  one  could,  witliout  that  mark,  enjoy  the  right  of 
property,  or  opportunity  to  gain  a  living.  That 
mark  is  the  name  of  the  wild  beast  in  that  form, 
in  which  it  subsisted  under  the  head  that  received 
the  death  wound,  or  it  is  the  number  of  that 
name.  Here  is  wisdom.  Let  him  who  has  un- 
derstanding compute  the  number  of  the  beast,  for 
it  is  the  number  of  a  man,  and  its  number  is  six 
hundred  and  sixty-six.  As  the  Greeks  used  their 
letters  to  represent  numbers,  the  letters  of  every 
name  might  be  taken  as  signs  of  arithmetical  num- 
bers as  well  as  of  sounds.  To  compute  the  number 
of  a  name,  therefore,  is  to  ascertain  tlie  sum  total 
of  the  numbers  which  its  letters  represent.  This 
number  of  the  beast  is  the  number  of  a  man — i.  e. 
of  a  family  of  men,  a  race,  or  a  nation.  It  is  the 
name  of  that  family,  therefore,  from  which  the  na- 
tion ruled  by  the  wild  beast  under  its  seventh  head 
drew  its  origin.  It  is  also  the  name  of  the  beast 
after  whose  pattern  the  new  structure  is  formed. 
What,  then,  is  the  great  combination  of  agents 
denoted  by  the  two-horned  wild  beast.  All  its 
characteristics  are  found  in  the  Koman  Catlnilic 
hierarchy  within  the  pnpal  dominions,  or  in  the 
papacy. 


144  LECTURE    NINTH. 

1.  As  the  ten-liorned  wild  beast  rose  up  out  of 
the  sea,  denoting  the  origin  of  an  empire,  from  the 
troubled  state  of  things  in  the  world,  so  the  pre- 
sent beast  is  seen  rising  up  out  of  the  earth,  deno- 
ting a  power  that  grew  up  insensibly,  like  a  weed 
in  a  garden,  out  of  the  established  and  quiet  order 
of  things.  Such  was  popery.  It  had  its  origin  in 
the  ancient  Latin  population,  not  in  their  barbarian 
conquerors.  Rome,  its  metropolis,  was  in  Latiura, 
the  native  seat  of  the  people  that  founded  the  Ro- 
man empire,  and  was  the  capital  from  which  the 
church  drew  its  name.  It  had  subsisted  as  a  na- 
tionalized hierarchy  163  years  at  the  time  of  the 
conquest  of  Rome,  and  the  full  emergence  of  the 
wild  beast  from  the  sea. 

2.  It  was  subsequently  invested  with  a  civil  do- 
minion also  over  Latium,  and  some  other  countries, 
and  thence  became  a  two-fold  monarchy,  answering 
to  its  symbolization  by  two  horns.  The  po])es 
accordingly  represent  themselves  as  wielding  both 
the  temporal  and  the  spiritual  sword.  Boniface 
VIII  says  in  his  bull,  "  For  when  the  apostle  said 
behold,  here  are  two  swords,  the  Lord  did  not 
reply  they  are  too  many,  but  enough."  As  a  tem- 
poral prince,  and  as  a  universal  bishop  then,  the 
Roman  pontiff  fills  up  the  symbol  of  a  two-horned 
wild  beast. 

3.  Its  horns  were  like  a  lamb's,  indicating  a 
harmless  spirit,  but  it  spoke  with  a  dragon  voice. 
This  perfectly  answers  to  that  affectation  of  Chris- 


LECTURE    NINTH.  145 

tian  meekness  which  was  accompanied  with  the 
doctrine  and  deeds  of  the  wicked  one.  At  one 
time  it  can  be  the  servant  of  servants — at  another, 
the  deposer  of  kings,  and  the  disposer  of  empires. 
The  standard  of  the  papal  kingdom  is  a  lamb  at 
the  foot  of  a  cross  ;  but  its  history  is  that  of  a 
ferocious  brute,  spreading  terror  by  its  imperious 
voice,  and  preying  on  the  blood  of  the  unoffending 
and  helpless.  No  other  monarcliy  in  Europe  has 
been  so  jealous  of  its  prerogatives,  so  quick  and 
implacable  in  its  resentments,  and  so  devoid  of  pity 
towards  its  victims. 

4.  It  exercised  the  same  power  as  the  first  wild 
beast,  and  at  the  same  period  with  it.  It  was  a 
civil  and  military  power,  like  the  surrounding 
monarchies.  It  claimed,  like  them,  absolute  au- 
thority over  the  property;  persons  and  lives  of  its 
subjects  ;  issued  and  executed  decrees,  and  levied 
taxes.  Like  tliem,  it  rarised  armies,  made  war  on 
its  neiglibors,  fouglit  battles  and  conquered  ter- 
ritories. 

5.  It  prompted  the  earth — the  native  population 
— atjd  those  who  inhabited  it — the  Gothic  conquer- 
ors— to  worship  tlie  fiist  wihl  beast,  wliose  death 
wound  was  healed — i.  e.  Constaiitine  and  his  suo- 
cessorH.  The  worship  whicli  the  native  uiid  har- 
barian  popuh-ition  was  iii<luced  to  ofler  to  those 
em[)eror8  was  involved  in  the  ascription  to  them  of 
tlie  rights  of  God,  and  in  admitting  as  just  their 
arrogation   of  authority   over    his    laws   and    his 

13 


146 


LECTURE    NINTH 


church.     If  a  man  claim  the  peculiar  prerogatives 
of  God,  those  who  assent  to  his  claim  are  said  to 
worship    him.      Constantino    and    his    successors 
made  that  claim^  and  the  popes,  by  influencing  the 
people  to  yield  to  it,  are  said  to  have  caused  them 
to  worship  the  beast.     They  even  forged  a  decree 
for    Constantino,    in  which   he   is   represented   as 
claiming  absolute  authority  over  all   the  churches 
of  God,  and  then,   by  virtue  of  it,  investing  the 
popes  with  a  dominion  still  more  exalted  over  the 
faith   and   worsliip   of    the    churches.      In   other 
words,     the    ten-horned     beast,    claiming    divine 
rights,  conferred   them  on    the  two-horned  beast, 
who,  in  his  turn,   persuaded  the  people  that  the 
claim  was  lawful,  and  therefore  that  the  gift  was 
valid. 

6.  The  popes  and  thSir  subordinates   have  pro- 
fessed to  enjoy  miraculous  powers  through  every 
age  since  their  origin,   and  have  thus  sought  to 
convince  the  rulers  and  the  people  of  their  divine 
commission.     The  miracles  pretended  to  have  been 
performed  by  them  are  too  generally  known  to  re- 
quire  detail.      Ecclesiastical     history   is    crowded 
with  them.     Nor  is  this  claim  yet  abandoned.     A 
Roman  divine  of  some  eminence  published  not  long 
ago  a  vindication  of  the    miracle  of   the  "Holy 
House  of  Loretto" — the  story  that   the  house  of 
Joseph  and  Mary  flew  tlirough  the  air  from  Pales- 
tine to  Italy  1     The  public  journals  some  years  ago 
contained  an  account  of  the  pretended  healing  of 


LECTURE    NINTH.  147 

an  inveterate  disease  by  the  prayers  of  the  pope. 
As  recently  as  1856,  John  Wyse,  a  Catholic  priest 
of    England,     published    a    book,     entitled    the 
''Manual  of  the  Confraternity  of  La  Salette,"  in 
which  he   gravely  narrates  the  Apparition  of  the 
Virgin  Mary  on  the  mountain  of  La  Salette,  Italy, 
September  the  19th,  1846,  to  two  illiterate  peasant 
children  of  the  ages  of  eleven  and  fifteen  years  I 
This    book   received   the    ''approbation"    of    Dr. 
W.  B.  Ullathorne,  Catholic  bishop  of  Birmingham, 
who  himself  put  forth  a  book  in  1855,  giving  an 
account  of  his  pilgrimage  to  La  Salette  in  the  pre- 
vious year.     Although  this  fraud  has  been  amply 
exposed,  yet  the  anniversary  of  this  pseudo-miracle 
is  celebrated  by  the  visit  of  thousands  to  the  spot. 
The  instructions  of  the  Virgin,  said  to  have  been 
given  on   the  occasion,  are  carefully  preserved  and 
disseminated,  and  a  new  order  of  "saints"  is  likely 
to  be  establislied  to  give  notoriety  and  force  to  the 
marvellous  story.    See  Edinburgh  Revieiu  for  July, 
1857.    That  the  apostle  John  did  not  intend  to  sanc- 
tion these  pretensions  is  evident  from  his  words: 
*^  And  deceiveth  them   that  dwell  on  the  earth  by 
means  of  those  miracles,  which  he  had  power  to  do 
in  the  sight  of  the  beast."    Paul  too  mentions  this 
as  a  characteristic  of  the  man  of  sin,  whose  coming 
would   be  *'  with  all  power,  and  signs,  and  lying 
wonders."     The  very  evidence,   therefore,    which 
popery  adduces  to  prove  its   apostolic  authorify, 
demonstrates  its  identity  with  the  man  of  sin. 


148  LECTURE     NINTH. 

7.     The  papacy  influenced  the  Gothic  rulers  to  - 
make  an  image  to  the  wikl  beast  wliich  received 
the  death   wound  and  lived,  by  the  union  of  their 
several  national  churches  into  a  single  hierarchy, 
and  subjection  of  them  to  the  pope  as  their  supreme 
legislative  and  judicial  head.     This  was  modeled 
after  the  ancient  civil  empire  under  Constantino 
and  his  successors,  and  hence  called  an  image  to 
the  wild  beast.     For  nearly  two  centuries  after  the 
conversion  of  the  Gothic  kings,  the  Roman  Catho- 
lic bishops  neither  exerted  nor  claimed  any  juris- 
diction over  the  churches  out  of  their  own  limits. 
They  were  acknowledged  as  successors  of  Peter, 
respected  as  of  high  authority  in  doctrine  and  dis- 
cipline, and  consulted  by  princes  and  prelates  on 
questions  of  importance.     But  their  decisions  were 
advisory — not  legislative  and  judicial — and  became 
obligatory  on  the  church  only  by  the  ratification  of 
princes  and  councils.      The   pastors    of   churches 
were  till  the  eighth  century  elected  by  their  con- 
gregations, or  appointed  by  the  bishops  of  the  dio- 
cese in  which  they  were  installed.     The  bishops 
were  elected  by  their  clergy  with  the  consent  of  the 
princes  to  whom  they  owed  allegiance,   and  the 
metropolitans  by  their  bishops.     All  questions  be- 
tween the  bishops  were  settled  by  national  coun- 
cils ;  or  if  appeals  were  made  to  Rome,  they  were 
voluntary  and  from  motives  of  expediency,  not  of 
necessity.     Soon,  however,  after  the  erection  of  the 
papacy   into   a  civil   kingdom,   the    popes   began 


LECTURE    NINTH.  149 

openly  to  aspire  to  a  domiaion  over  the  cliurches  of 
the  other  kingdoms.  They  claimed  for  their  de- 
crees universal  authority,  and  endeavored  to  estab- 
lish that  claim  by  forging  letters  for  the  earlier 
popes  as  contending  for  similar  power.  They  ana- 
thematized all  who  disputed  their  pretensions,  and 
thus  brought  the  fear  of  eternal  death  to  bear  upon 
the  question.  Finally,  this  arrogant  claim  of  the 
pontiffs  was  admitted  by  the  church  at  large,  and 
they  were  esteemed  the  supreme  legislative  and 
judicial  head  of  the  great  spiritual  organization 
formed  by  uniting  the  local  establishments.  This 
vast  hierarchy  was  in  all  its  great  features  a  coun- 
terpart to  the  imperial  rule  under  the  Christian 
emperors,  and  is  appropriately  called  an  image  of 
the  wild  beast  that  received  the  death  wound  and 
rived. 

8.  This  image  was  erected  by  the  inhabitants 
of  the  earth — the  princes,  ecclesiastics  and  people 
of  the  kingdoms  exterior  to  the  papal  territory — 
not  by  tlie  pontiffs  themselves.  They  had  no  power 
by  their  mere  will  to  alter  the  constitution  of  tlioso 
hicrarcliies.  It  was  not  till  they  had  become  in- 
vested with  the  prerogatives  of  a  spiritual  despotism 
that  they  could  exert  that  power.  They  derived  it 
from  the  official  acts  of  the  princes  and  j)relate8, 
and  from  the  consent  of  the  people.  Although  tlie 
scheme  originated  with  the  pontiffs,  and  was  pur- 
sued and  acconiplishc<l  by  their  arts,  still  it  was 
Ofltensibly  effected  by  rulers,  clergy  and  people. 


150  LECTURE    NINTH. 

Thus  the  two-horned  wild  beast  said,  "  to  them 
that  dwell  on  earth,  that  they  should  make  an 
image  to  the  beast  which  had  the  wound  by  a  sword 
and  did  live." 

9.  The  popes,  thus  exalted  to  supreme  power 
over  the  church  of  the  ten  kingdoms,  caused  that 
as  many  as  would  not  worship  the  hierarchy  of 
which  they  were  the  head,  should  be  put  to  death. 
Dissent  from  the  faith  and  worship  of  the  Catholic 
church_,  and  a  denial  of  the  right  of  the  pontiff  to 
legislate  over  the  laws  of  God,  were  made  capital 
offences,  and  all  who  were  convicted  of  them  were 
delivered  over  to  the  civil  magistrate  and  punished 
with  death.  Thus  the  secular  beast  is  said  to 
make  war  with  the  saints  and  to  kill  them,  while 
the  ecclesiastical  is  only  said  to  cause  them  to  be 
killed.  The  council  of  Lateran  decreed  not  to  put 
heretics  to  death,  but  to  deliver  them  over  to  the 
civil  power  to  be  killed. 

10.  The  ancients  used  the  letters  of  the  alphabet 
to  designate  certain  numbers.  Hence  they  fre- 
quently referred  to  their  deities  by  announcing,  not 
their  names,  but  the  number  which  the  letters 
of  their  names  would  yield  by  addition.  Thus 
Thouth,  the  Egyptian  Mercury,  was  designated  by 
the  number  1,218;  Jupiter  by  737;  the  Sun  by 
608.  The  worshipers  of  these  idols  used  to  in- 
scribe on  their  persons  conspicuously  the  names  of 
their  deities,  or  the  numbers  which  the  letters  of 
their  names  made.     In  like  manner  John  tells  us 


LECTURE     NINTH.  151 

that  the  image  caused  all  classes  to  impress  the 
name  of  the  wild  heast,  or  the  number  of  its  name, 
on  their  right  hand,  or  on  their  forehead.  To 
mark  themselves  with  that  name,  as  with  an  in- 
scription or  brand  was,  therefore,,  formally  and  no- 
toriously to  assume  it,  to  show  by  open  acts  that 
they  were  the  worshipers  of  that  hierarchy  formed 
after  the  model  of  the  wild  beast,  and  bearing  his 
name.  Such  acts  were  a  union  with  the  Catholic 
church — adoption  and  profession  of  its  faith,  re- 
ception of  its  sacraments  and  obedience  to  its  laws — 
acts  by  which  men  gave  as  public  and  ample  proof 
that  they  worshiped  the  image,  as  if  they  had 
testified  it  by  branding  its  name  on  their  foreheads 
or  hands.  But  what  was  the  name?  It  was 
manifestly  ^Mtuvoi — the  letters  of  which  in  their 
numerical  value  make  exactly  six  hundred  and 
sixty-six,  as  you  may  see  by  turning  to  a  Greek 
Grammar. 

Tims  : — A  =    30 1       Modern  authors  on  prophecy 

claim  no  credit  for  this  wisdom. 
It  appears  in  the  writings  ot 
Iren.'L'Us,  who  was  a  disciple  ot 
Polycarp^  who  was  a  disciple  of 
John.  He  says — ''  The  name 
'  Lateinos'  contains  tlie  number 
six  hundred  and  sixty-six,  and 
GGG  J  it  is  very  likely,  because  the 
last  kingdom  is  so  called,  for  they  are  the  Latins 
that  now  reign."     Bishop  Newton  says  that  Lat- 


A=       1 

T  =  300 
E:r=  6 
1=  10 
N  =  50 
o  =  70 
•2;  =  200 


152  LECTURE    NINTH. 

einos   (witli   ei)   is   the   true   orthogrcapliy  of  the 
•word,  as  the  Greeks  thus  wrote  the  long  i  of  the 
Latins.     Certainly  no  name  could  be  more  descrip- 
tive of  the  papal  hierarchy  than  that  of  Latin. 
Whatever  nation  of  Europe  was  converted  to  the 
church  of  Eome,  received  with  that  faith  the  Latin 
language.      All    the   official    proceedings   of  the 
church   have  ever  been,  and  still  are    in   Latin. 
Children  are  christened  in  Latin  ;  youth  confirmed 
in  Latin  ;  young  men  and  maidens  are  married  in 
Latin  ;  their  prayers  and  praises  are  Latin  ;  the 
office  for  the  visitation  of  the  sick  is  in  Latin  ;  and 
the  dead  are   buried  in  Latin.     It  is  called  the 
Latin  church. 

11.  And  finally  the  two-horned  wild  beast 
caused  that  no  one  should  be  able  to  buy  or  sell, 
except  such  as  had  the  mark,  the  name  of  the  wild 
beast,  or  the  number  of  its  name.  All  social  in- 
tercourse with  heretics  was  forbidden.  Thus  the 
council  of  Tours  1163  enjoined  that  no  one 
"should  venture  to  yield  them  a  retreat  on  his 
lands,  give  them  succor,  or  have  any  communion 
with  them  by  purchase  or  sale^  so  that,  having 
lost  all  human  aid,  they  may  be  compelled  to  re- 
turn from  the  error  of  their  way.  Let  whoever 
shall  dare  to  contravene  this  command,  be  struck 
with  an  anathema,  as  a  partaker  of  their  ini- 
quity." In  like  manner  the  third  Lateran  council 
sentenced  "them  and  their  defenders  and  harbor- 
ers  to  an  anathema,  and  forbade  that  any  should 


LECTURE     NINTH.  153 

presume  to  keep  them  in  their  houses,  or  on  their 
lands,  sustain  them  or  transact  any  business  with 
them."  Such  is  the  exact  correspondence  between 
the  representations  of  the  prophecy  and  the  great 
recorded  and  universal  agency  of  the  popes,  sym- 
bolized by  the  two-horned  wild  beast. 

And  I  looked,  and,  lo,  a  Lamb  stood  on  the  mount  Zion,  and  with 
him  a  hundred  forty  and  four  thousand,  having  his  Father's  name 
written  in  their  foreheads.  And  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven,  as  the 
voice  of  many  waters,  and  as  the  voice  of  a  great  thunder  :  and  I 
heard  the  voice  of  harpers  harping  with  their  harps  :  And  they  sung 
as  it  were  a  new  song  before  the  throne,  and  before  the  four  beasta, 
and  the  elders  :  and  no  man  could  learn  that  song  but  the  hundred  ojid 
forty  and  four  thousand,  which  were  redeemed  from  the  earth.  These 
are  they  which  were  not  defiled  with  women  ;  for  they  are  virgins. 
These  are  they  which  follow  the  Lamb  whithersoever  he  goeth.  These 
were  redeemed  from  among  men,  beinr/  the  first  fruits  unto  God  and  to 
the  Lamb.  And  in  their  mouth  was  found  no  guile :  for  they  are 
without  fault  before  the  throne  of  God. — Jiev.  xiv  :  1-5. 

What  a  contrast  between  this  vision  and  the 
preceding  1  There  we  saw  ferocious  beasts,  op- 
pressing tlie  ])eople  of  God.  Here  we  behold  a 
Latnb  on  Mount  Zion,  standing  amid  the  one 
hundred  and  forty-four  tliousand,  who  bear  on 
their  forelioads,  not  the  name  of  the  wild  beast, 
but  his  own  name,  and  the  name  of  his  Father. 
John  was  situated  on  the  earth,  but  the  scene  of 
tlie  vision  was  tlie  heavenly  tabernacle.  This 
multitude  stood  on  tlie  sea  of  ghiss,  and  the  song 
which  he  heard — as  the  voice  of  many  waters  and 
of  loud  thunderings — as  of  liarpers  har[iing  on 
their  harps,  was  their  song,  not  the  song  of  tho 


154  LECTURE    NINTH. 

other  redeemed  or  of  angels.  It  was  a  new  song, 
uttered  on  a  new  and  peculiar  occasion_,  and  for 
new  and  peculiar  gifts.  And  no  one  could  learn 
that  song  but  the  one  hundred  and  forty-four 
thousand.  The  peculiarity  of  the  occasion  is  the 
near  approach  of  Christ's  reign  on  earth,  as  shown 
by  the  resurrection  of  a  part  of  his  people,  and 
their  exaltation  to  the  stations  in  his  presence, 
which  they  are  thenceforth  to  fill.  These  are 
doubtless  the  same  as  the  one  hundred  and  forty- 
four  thousand  sealed  of  the  seventh  chapter,  and 
are  probably  the  witnesses  of  the  eleventh  chapter, 
who  were  slain,  and  after  three-and-half  years, 
raised  from  death,  and  taken  up  to  heaven.  In 
the  second  vision  of  the  seventh  chapter  a  great 
multitude  of  all  nations  was  exhibited,  as  standing 
before  the  throne  and  before  the  Lamb,  with  white 
robes  and  palms.  That  vision  comprises  the 
whole  of  the  redeemed,  the  present  represents  the 
sealed,  as  first  crowned  with  that  salvation,  and 
presented  as  the  first  fruits  to  God  and  the  Lamb. 

1.  They  follow  the  Lamb  whithersoever  he 
goeth. 

2.  They  were  not  defiled  with  idolatry  or  false 
worship,  but  were  espoused,  as  chaste  virgins,  to 
Christ. 

3.  They  were  without  guile — without  fault. 


LECTUKE  TENTH. 


REVELATIONS,  CHAPTER  XIV  :  6-XV :  4. 

And  I  saw  another  angel  fly  in  the  midst  of  heaven,  having  the  ever- 
lasting gospel  to  preach  unto  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth,  and  to 
every  nation,  and  kindred,  and  tonijue,  and  people,  saying  with  aloud 
voice,  Fear  God,  and  give  glory  to  him ;  for  the  hour  of  his  judgment 
ifl  come  :  and  worship  him  that  made  heaven,  and  earth,  and  the  sea, 
and  the  fountains  of  waters.— /?ee.  xiv  :  6-7. 

The  gospel  is  everlasting.  It  is  the  same  now 
that  was  preached  by  Christ  and  his  apostles,  and 
it  is  to  remain  unchanged,  and  to  be  preached  to 
successive  generations  through  countless  years.  It 
relates  to  the  everlasting  government  of  God,  and 
reveals  the  princiides  on  which  it  is  to  be  forever 
conducted.  The  angel  who  has  it  is  the  represen- 
tative of  a  body  and  succession  of  men.  His  flight 
in  raid-heaven  denotes  the  conspicuity  of  their  mis- 
sion. Those  who  dwell  on  the  earth  are  the  in- 
habitants of  the  ten  kingdoms,  while  every  nation, 
and  tribe,  and  tongue,  and  ])cople,  arc  the  other 
nations  of  the  world.  His  first  summons  is  to  fear 
God  and  to  give  him  glory.  To  fear  him  is  to  re- 
gard him  with  the  supreme  awe  that  is  due  to  his 
infinite  greatness  and    exalted  station.     To  give 


156  LECTURE      TENTH. 

him  glory  is  to  manifest  that  awe  by  a  public  ac- 
knowledgment of  his  being,  perfections  and  works, 
and  by  recognizing  his  rights  and  submitting  to 
his  will.  The  reason  offered  for  that  summons  is, 
that  the  hour  of  his  judgment  is  come — the  period 
in  whicli  he  is  to  reclaim  the  rights  which  men 
have  usurped — vindicate  the  prerogatives  they  have 
denied,  and  punish  both  those  who  arrogate  his 
throne,  and  those  who  pay  them  homage. 

His  next  injunction  is  to  worship  Him  who  made 
the  heaven,  and  the  earth,  and  sea,  and  fountains 
of  waters.  The  heaven,  earth  and  sea,  when  thus 
distinguished  from  each  other,  denote  the  world  of 
men,  in  their  relations  as  rulers  and  subjects.  The 
sun  is  the  symbol  of  the  rulers  of  a  nation — the 
earth,  of  a  people  ucder  a  settled  form  of  govern- 
ment— the  sea,  of"  a  multitude  agitated  with  war  or 
revdution,  and  the  fountains,  of  remoter  tribes  and 
com n' unities  intimately  related  to  a  great  central 
peo])le  The  command  implies,  therefore,  that  the 
nations  of  the  earth  are  worshipping  their  rulers — 
or  making  their  settled  customs  the  law  of  con- 
science, or  giving  that  honor  to  the  usages  of  other 
communities,  or  yielding  it  to  the  passions  of  an 
excited  multitude.  And  it  is  a  summons  to  with- 
draw their  homage  from  creatures  and  confer  it 
only  on  the  Creator.  This  symbol,  then,  repre- 
sents a  body  and  succession  of  men,  who  are  to 
bear  the  everlasting  gospel  both  to  the  nations  of 
the  ten  kingdoms  and  to  all  other  tribes  and  Ian- 


LECTURE    TENTH.  157 

guages  of  the  earth,  and  to  summon  them  to  fear 
God  and  glorify  him  by  a  just  confession  and  hom- 
age, to  warn  them  that  the  hour  of  his  judgment  is 
come  in  which  he  is  to  punish  them  who  usurp  his 
throne  and  arrogate  his  rights,  and  to  enjoin  them 
to  worship,  not  rulers  or  their  subjects,  but  Him 
only,   their   Creator.     This   office   has,   doubtless, 
already  been  fulfilled  in  part  by  those  who  for  the 
last  seventy  years  have  been  giving  the  word  of 
God,  translated  into  their  several  languages,  to  the 
nations  of  the  earth,  and  have  been  publishing  its 
glad  tidings  of  salvation.     The  warning  that  the 
hour  of  the  judgment  of  usurping  rulers  and  apos- 
tate  priests   is   come,    is   yet    but   very   partially 
littered.     So  is  the  summons  to  worship  the  Crea- 
tor, not  creatures,  whatever  may  be  their  stations, 
their  pretensions  or  their  number.     The  great  ob- 
stacles which  the  heralds  of  the  gospel  have  every- 
where to  encounter,   are  notoriously  those  which 
this  summons  implies — the  authority  of  anti-chris- 
tian  rulers — ai)OHtate  priests — establislied  constitu- 
tions— hereditary  opinions,  prejudices  and  passions. 
A  nil   tlie  first  step  towards  the  conversion  of  the 
nations  to  God  is  their  deliverance  from  an  abject 
vassalage   to   man.     Such   is  eminently  the  condi- 
tion, not  only  of  tlie  niilli<ins  of  India,  llindostan, 
15urmah  and  China,  ol' all  Mahometan  and  Catholic 
nations,  of  the  Cireck,  tlie  Armininn,  and  the  Sy- 
rian communions,  but  also  of  the  Trotestant  estab- 
lished churches. 
14 


158  LECTURE    TENTH. 

And  there  followed  another  angel,  saying,  Babylon  is  fallen,  is  fallen, 
that  great  city,  because  she  made  all  nations  drink  of  the  wine  of  the 
wrath  of  her  fornication. — Bev.  xiv :  8. 

Great  Babylon  is  the  aggregate  of  the  national- 
ized hierarchies  of  the  ten  kingdoms,  Avhatever  be 
their  names.  She  symbolizes  the  teachers  and 
rulers  of  the  churches  with  whom  the  kings  of  the 
earth  join  in  the  institution,  practice  and  dissemi- 
nation of  a  false  religion.  Her  difference,  accord- 
ingly, from  the  image  of  the  wild  beast,  is,  that  she 
embraces  the  Protestant  hierarchies  of  the  ten  king- 
doms, as  well  as  the  papal,  which  constitute  that 
image.  Babylon,  then,  is  the  vast  structure  of 
nationalized  ecclesiastical  rulers  of  every  name, 
who  usurp  the  rights  of  God,  hold  a  faith  essen- 
tially false,  offer  an  unauthorized  worship,  and  act 
with  the  anti-chrietian  civil  powers  in  their  usur- 
pations and  persecutions.  The  fall  of  the  city  is 
accordingly  her  dejection  from  that  station  as  a 
legal  establishment,  as  the  creature  and  organ  of 
the  civil  governments,  deriving  her  revenues  from 
their  treasuries,  and  sujiporting  her  usurped  do- 
minion by  their  power.  This  is  apparent  from  her 
continued  existence  after  her  fall,  and  by  the  sum- 
mons of  the  people  of  God  by  the  angel  in  the 
eighteenth  chapter,  to  come  out  of  her,  after  having 
announced  that  she  had  fallen.  As  she  is  to  sub- 
sist after  feer  fall,  that  fall  cannot  be  her  dissolution 
as  a  community,  but  only  her  severance  from  the 
civil  governments,  and  her  dejection  from  her  sta- 


LECTURE     TENTH,  159 

tion  and  power  as  a  combination  of  national  estab- 
lishments. The  angel  here  simply  announces  her 
fall.  He  will  hereafter  add  the  reasons  for  it  and 
the  character  of  her  subsequent  vassals. 

This  symbol,  then,  foreshows  that  the  usurping 
hierarchies  denoted  by  great  Babylon  are  to  be 
thrown  down  from  their  stations  as  national  insti- 
tutions. As  the  angel  announcing  this  fact  follows 
the  angel  bearing  the  everlasting  gospel,  her  fall 
is  to  take  place  after  those  represented  by  the  latter 
have  fulfilled  their  work.  This  angel,  like  tliat, 
is  the  representative  of  a  body  of  men — his  fliglit 
in  mid-heaven  denotes  tlieir  publicity  and  conspi- 
cuity,  and  his  annunciation  that  there  is  to  be  a 
public  and  exulting  celebration  of  her  overthrow. 

And  the  third  angel  followed  them,  saying  with  a  loud  voice,  If  any 
man  worship  the  beast  and  his  ima^c,  and  receive  his  uark  in  his  fore- 
head, or  in  his  hand,  the  same  shall  drink  of  the  wine  of  the  wrath  o' 
God,  which  is  poured  out  without  mixture  into  the  cup  of  his  indigna 
tion  ;  and  he  shall  be  tormented  with  fire  and  brimstone  in  the  presence 
of  the  holy  angels,  and  in  the  presence  of  the  Lamb  :  and  the  smoke  of 
their  torment  asceodeth  up  for  ever  and  ever :  and  thej  have  no  rest 
day  nor  night,  who  worship  the  beast  and  his  image,  and  whosoever 
receiveth  the  mark  of  his  name.  Here  is  the  patience  of  the  saints; 
here  are  they  that  keep  the  commandments  of  God,  and  the  faith  of 
Jesus.  And  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven,  saying  unto  me,  Write: 
BlcMcd  are  the  dead  which  die  in  the  Lord  from  henceforth  :  Yea, 
■aith  the  Spirit,  that  they  may  rest  from  their  labors;  and  their  works 
do  follow  them. — Ilev.  xiv  :  9-13. 

As   this  angel    follows    the    others,    the    agents 
whom  he  represents  are  to  be  of  a  later  period  than 


ICO  LECTURE    TENTH. 

those  whom  they  symbolize.  His  warning  implies 
that  although  great  Babylon  has  fallen  from  her 
station,  yet  men  are  still  worshiping  the  wild 
beast  and  its  image,  and  receiving  its  mark — that 
these,  though  no  longer  in  the  same  relations  to 
each  other,  still  continue  their  usurpation  of  the 
rights  of  God  and  dominion  over  the  church.  Those 
Romish  hierarchies,  therefore,  are  still  to  subsist 
after  their  fall,  and  to  acknowledge  the  pope  as 
their  head.  The  fearful  punishment  threatened  to 
those  who  continue  to  worship  those  anti-christian 
powers,  implies  that  their  assumptions  are  a  virtual 
usurpation  of  the  throne  of  God,  and  that  whoever 
submits  to  their  claims,  exalts  them  to  the  station 
of  the  Almighty,  and  must  necessarily  be  treated 
as  an  incorrigible  apostate.  The  principles  on 
which  that  worship  proceeds  are  then  to  be  so  fully 
discussed  and  developed,  that  all  shall  be  able  to 
discern  and  appreciate  their  relations  to  the  rights 
of  God  and  the  obligations  of  creatures.  That 
"here  is  the  patience  of  the  saints,"  denotes  that 
those  usurping  powers  will  carry  their  efforts  to 
domineer  over  believers,  to  the  extreme  of  a  bloody 
persecution.  To  die  in  the  Lord  is  to  die  for  his 
sake  as  a  witness  to  his  truth.  That  their  works 
are  to  follow  them,  implies  that  they  are  soon 
to  be  raised  from  death,  and  as  kings  and  priests  in 
Christ's  kingdom  on  earth,  to  resume  their  works 
towards  the  nations  in  converting  them  to  the 
homage  of  God.     This  persecution  is  obviously  to 


LECTURE    TENTH.  161 

be  of  a  later  period  than  that  in  which  the  wit- 
nesses are  to  be  slain — as  this  is  to  follow  the  fall 
of  great  Babylon,  and  that  is  to  precede  it. 
This  symbol,  then,  foreshows  that  after  the  over- 
throw of  Babylon,  numerous  teachers  are  to  arise 
who  shall  denounce  avenging  judgments  on  all  who 
shall  continue  to  yield  submission  to  her  arrogant 
claims,  that  the  wild  beast  will  still  endeavor  to 
compel  them  to  apostatize,  and  will  put  them  to 
death,  but  that  they  will  sustain  the  conflict  with 
a  patience  and  fidelity  worthy  of  prophets,  and  will 
receive  for  their  reward  a  speedy  resurrection  to 
the  station  of  kings  and  priests — will  share  in  the 
momentous  agencies  on  which  the  glorified  saints 
are  to  enter  at  the  'establishment  of  Christ's  king- 
dom on  the  earth.  The  great  principles  on  which 
the  pure  and  the  apostate  churches  proceed,  are 
thus  immediately  before  the  advent  of  the  Re- 
deemer, to  be  brought  into  the  most  open  and  vio- 
lent antagonism,  the  worshipers  of  God  are  to 
give  the  most  public  demonstration  of  their  alle- 
giance by  resigning  their  lives  rather  than  aposta- 
tize, and  the  anti-christian  powers  and  their  vassals 
are  to  give  the  most  resistless  proof  of  their  delibe- 
rate apostacy,  by  continuing  rebellious,  amid  the 
thrcatonings  of  avenging  judgments.  They  will 
thus  show  the  propriety  of  the  discrimination  the 
Son  of  God  is  about  to  make  between  them,  in  rais- 
ing his  slaughtered  people  from  death,  in  exalting 
them  to  the  rewards  of  his  kingdom,  and  in  con- 


162  LECTURE    TENTH. 

demning  the  apostates   and  consigning  them  to 
everlasting  punishments. 

« 

And  I  looked,  and  behold  a  white  cloud,  and  apon  the  cloud  one  sat 
like  unto  the  Son  of  man,  having  on  his  head  a  golden  crown,  and  in 
his  hand  a  sharp  sickle.  And  another  angel  came  out  of  the  temple, 
crying  with  a  loud  voice  to  him  that  sat  on  the  cloud,  Thrust  in  thy 
sickle,  and  reap  :  for  the  time  is  come  for  thee  to  reap ;  for  the  har 
vest  of  the  earth  is  ripe.  And  he  that  sat  on  the  cloud  thrust  in  his 
sickle  on  the  earth ;  and  the  earth  was  reaped. — Bev.  xiv :  14-16. 

He  who  sat  on  the  cloud  is  a  symbol  of  a  class 
and  multitude.  He  is  like  the  Son  of  man.  He 
represents  human  beings,  therefore,  and  human 
beings  doubtless  raised  from  the  dead  in  glory, 
like  the  human  form  of  Christ  in  his  exaltation. 
The  golden  crown  on  his  head  denotes  that  those 
whom  he  symbolizes  had  already  been  presented 
to  the  Father — had  been  adopted  as  sons  and 
joint-heirs  with  Christ,  and  assigned  to  stations  as 
kings  and  priests  in  his  kingdom.  The  period  of 
this  agency  is  after  the  revivication  of  the  wit- 
nesses, therefore,  and  doubtless  also,  from  the  vast 
numbers  requisite  to  such  an  office,  after  the  visi- 
ble advent  of  Christ,  and  resurrection  of  the  holy 
dead  of  all  ages.  They  who  are  harvested  by  him 
are  also  human  beings  on  the  earth — living,  there- 
fore, and  mortal,  and  are  doubtless  the  saints.  -In 
their  symbolization  by  lifeless  objects,  they  are  ex- 
hibited as  passive  subjects  of  the  events  foreshown, 
not  its  efficient  agents.  As  crops  are  gathered  in 
order  to  be  preserved  and  appropriated  to  the  uses 


LECTURE    TENTH*  163 

for  whicli  they  are  raised,  so  the  reaping  of  the  sub- 
jects of  this  harvest  denotes  their  being  collected 
for  preservation  and  appropriation  to  the  ends  for 
which  they  are  sanctified.  That  an  angel  came 
forth  from  the  temple  and  apprised  the  reaper 
when  to  thrust  in  his  sickle,  denotes  that  a  mes- 
senger from  heaven  is  to  announce  to  those  whom 
the  reaper  symbolizes,  the  moment  when  they  are 
to  enter  on  their  work.  This  is  in  exact  accord- 
ance with  the  teaching  of  Clirist — that  with  the 
voice  of  a  great  trumpet  he  will  send  his  messen- 
gers to  gatlier  together  his  elect.  This  beautiful 
symbol  thus  foreshows,  tliat  ere  the  final  destruc- 
tion of  the  vassals  of  anti-Christ,  the  living  saints 
are  to  be  gathered  together  for  preservation,  and 
probably  for  the  judgment  and  acceptance  pre- 
figured in  tlie  parable  of  the  sheep  and  the  goats  ; 
that  that  event  is  to  take  place  after  the  witnesses 
and  the  holy  dead  generally  have  been  raised,  ac- 
cepted and  crowned  ;  that  special  messengers  are 
to  gather  together  the  elect — that  they  are  previ 
ously  to  descend  to  the  clouds,  await  the  approach 
of  the  appointed  moment,  and  receive  a  signal 
from  heaven  when  to  enter  on  their  work. 

And  another  angel  came  out  of  the  temple  which  is  in  heaven,  ho 
aluo  havinf:  a  nharp  gickle.  And  another  angel  camo  out  from  th« 
altar,  which  had  power  over  fire ;  and  cried  with  a  loud  cry  to  him 
who  had  the  sharp  gickle,  saying.  Thrust  in  thy  sharp  sickle,  and 
gather  the  clusters  of  the  vine  of  the  earth  ;  for  her  grapes  are  fully 
ripe.  And  the  angel  thrust  in  his  girklo  into  the  earth,  and  gathered 
the  vine  of  the  canth,  and  cast  it  into  the  great  winepress  of  the  wrath 


164  LECTURE    TENTH. 

of  God.  And  the  winepress  was  trodden  withoat  the  citjr ,  and  blood 
eame  out  of  the  winepress,  even  unto  the  horses'  bridles,  by  the  spaco 
of  *  thousand  and  six  hundred  furlongs.— i?ev.  xir :  17-20. 

The  scene  presented  to  the  apostle  in  this  vision, 
and  probably  in  the  last,  was  the  city  by  which 
the  apostate  hierarchies  are  represented,  sur- 
rounded by  the  symbolic  earth,  covered  with  har- 
vest fields  and  vineyards.  The  harvest  had  been 
reaped  and  gathered  into  storehouses  ;  the  grapes 
had  become  ripe  and  ready  for  the  vintage.  The 
angel's  coming  with  the  sickle  from  the  temple  in 
heaven,  and  his  descent  to  the  earth,  signify  that 
those  whom  he  represents  are  to  go  from  the  divine 
presence,  and  are  therefore  angels.  The  fire  of 
the  altar,  by  which  the  sacrificial  victims  were 
consumed,  is  a  symbol  of  the  instruments  of 
avenging  justice.  The  command  by  the  angel 
having  power  over  the  fire,  to  gather  the  vine  of 
the  earth,  implies^  therefore,  that  those  whom  the 
clusters  represent,  are  to  be  gathered  for  ven- 
geance, and  thence  are  the  worshii>pers  of  the  wild 
beast  and  its  image.  That  the  grapes  of  the  earth 
and  the  harvest  were  ripe,  denotes  that  the  princi- 
ples of  the  two  classes  which  they  represent  are 
fully  developed  and  defined — their  character  set- 
tled and  made  conspicuous  as  worshippers  of  God 
or  apostates,  so  that  it  is  manifest  that  his  dispen- 
sations towards  them  are  in  conformity  with  their 
disposition  and  conduct.  The  casting  of  the  vine 
into  the  great  wine-press  of  the  wrath  of  God,  sig- 


LECTURE     TENTH.  165 

nifies  that  those  whom  the  vine  symbolizes  are  to 
be  cruslied  by  the  vengeance  of  the  Almiglity. 
The  treading  of  the  wine-press  outside  of  the  city 
— the  symbol  of  the  nationalized  hierarchies — de- 
notes that  the  grapes  are  from  their  vineyards,  and 
represent  those,  therefore,  who  have  been  subject 
to  their  control,  and  devoted  to  their  use.  The 
river  of  blood  flowing  from  the  press,  indicates  the 
visibility  and  vastness  of  the  destruction.  This 
symbol,  then,  foreshows  that  angels  are  to  descend 
from  the  divine  presence,  and  gather  together  the 
incorrigible  enemies  of  God,  who  have  been  de- 
voted to  apostate  religions,  in  order  to  their  de- 
Btruction.  It  is  a  different  gathering,  therefore, 
from  that  at  Armageddon,  where  the  wild  beast 
and  false  prophet  are  to  be  taken,  as  that  is  to  be 
prompted  by  the  unclean  spirits — this  by  angels, 
that  is  to  be  voluntary — this  by  compulsion.  It 
is  the  gathering,  therefore,  probably  foreshown  in 
the  parable  of  the  goats,  in  wliich  those  who  have 
evinced  tlie  want  of  a  proper  temper  towards 
Christ,  by  refusing  to  aid  his  brethren,  when  per- 
flcciited  by  tlie  wild  beast  and  false  j)roj)het,  are  to 
be  judged  and  destroyed.  It  is  to  embrace  those 
only,  as  the  parable  implies,  who  have  acted  in 
that  iclation,  dwelt  within  the  territory  of  the 
great  city,  owned  her  jurisdiction,  furnished  her 
with  reaourcos,  and  supported  her  in  her  tyrannies. 
The  dejectfon  of  the  vine  into  the  press  is  a  differ- 
ent work  from  the  treading.     The  former  is   the 


166  LECTURE    TENTH. 

act  of  the  reapers — the  latter  is  to  be  the  work  of 
the  Son  of  God  (xix :  15).  The  wild  beast  and 
false  prophet  are  first  to  be  taken  alive  and  cast 
into  the  lake  of  fire.  Their  armies — the  whole 
organized  array  of  their  supporters — are  next  to  be 
slain.  Then  as  a  shepherd,  Christ  is  to  gather 
and  judge  the  nations  who  have  acted  in  immedi- 
ate relation  to  him  as  Messiah,  and  assign  the  true 
worshippers  to  everlasting  life,  and  tread  the  apos- 
tates in  the  wine-press  of  his  wrath. 

And  I  saw  another  sign  in  heaven,  great  and  marvellous,  seven 
angels  having  the  seven  last  plagues ;  for  in  them  is  filled  up  the  wrath 
of  God.  And  I  saw  as  it  were  a  sea  of  glass  mingled  with  fire ;  and 
them  that  had  gotten  the  victory  over  the  beast,  and  over  his  image, 
and  over  his  mark,  atid  over  the  number  of  his  name,  stand  on  the  sea 
of  glass,  having  the  harps  of  God.  And  they  sing  the  song  of  Moses 
the  servant  of  God,  and  the  song  of  the  Lamb,  saying.  Great  and 
marvellous  are  thy  works,  Lord  God  Almighty  ;  just  and  true  are  thy 
ways,  thou  King  of  saints.  Who  shall  not  fear  thee,  0  Lord,  and  glo- 
rify thy  name  ?  for  thoti  only  art  holy  ;  for  all  nations  shall  come  and 
worship  before  thee ;  for  thy  judgments  are  made  manifest. — Rev. 
XV :  1-4. 

The  whole  of  this  spectacle  was  in  heaven.  The 
sea  was  a  space  in  front  of  the  throne,  and  exterior, 
therefore^  to  the  elders.  It  resembled,  from  its 
translucent  pavement,  interspangled  with  gems,  a 
smooth,  watery  expanse,  refracting  the  red  glow  of 
sun-set,  or  the  crimson  tints  of  the  sky.  Its  com- 
parison to  a  sea  indicates  an  extent  far  too  great 
for  the  interior  of  the  temple.  It  was  doubtless,  a 
vast  area  extending  from  its  front,  and  implies  a 
corresponding  greatness  of  the  host  stationed  on 


LECTURE    TENTH.  167 

it.  They  are  the  victors  from  the  conflict  with  the 
wild  beast,  and  with  its  image,  and  with  the  num- 
ber of  its  name — the  vast  crowd  of  witnesses  who 
have  held  the  testimony  of  Jesus  and  refused  sub- 
mission to  those  anti-Christian  powers,  through 
the  long  period  of  their  triumph.  They  have  nei- 
ther sanctioned  the  civil  rulers  in  usurping  the 
prerogatives  of  God,  nor  obeyed  the  authority  of 
the  apostate  hicrarcliies,  nor,  through  fear  of  per- 
secution, suppressed .  their  dissent  and  yielded  a 
nominal  submission  to  their  sway.  This  last  is 
the  victory  over  its  name,  doubtless  in  distinction 
from  the  victory  over  the  wild  beast  and  its  image. 
Their  chanting  the  wisdom  and  rectitude  of  the 
Almighty  wlien  about  to  judge  those  usurping 
j)0wer8,  shows  a  vast  intelligence  of  the  reasons  of 
that  great  measure  of  his  administration,  an  ac- 
knowledgement of  its  necessity  to  his  vindication, 
and  an  understanding  of  tlie  salutary  impressions 
it  is  to  make  on  tlie  universe.  Tiiey  have  harps  of 
God,  given  by  him  and  devoted  to  his  praise. 
They  sing  the  song  of  Moses,  as  it  is  like  his,  a 
celebration  of  the  greatness,  wonderfulness  and 
justice  of  the  divine  ways  ;  and  the  song  of  the 
Lamb,  as  he  is  the  Lord  God  Almighty,  who  has 
exercised  the  government  of  the  universe  during 
the  triumph  of  the  wild  beast,  and  the  King  of  tho 
nations  who  is  now  to  judge  that  usurper,  take 
possession  of  the  earth,  and  bring  all  its  tribes  to 
obedience.     Their  song — ''Great  and  marvellous 


168  LECTURE    TENTH. 

are  thy  works,  Lord  God  Almighty,  just  and 
true  thy  ways,  thou  King  of  saints  " — is  an  ador- 
ing confession  that  it  was  in  boundless  wisdom  that 
he  had,  through  so  many  ages,  allowed  the  tri- 
umph of  the  wild  beast,  and  the  oppression  and 
slaughter  of  his  witnesses,  that  spotless  rectitude 
and  truth  had  noarked  all  his  dispensations  to- 
wards them  in  their  conflict  with  that  usurping 
power,  and  were  now  to  mark  the  avenging  judg- 
ments by  which  he  was  to  destroy  it.  The  ques- 
tion— "Who  shall  not  fear  thee,  O  Lord,  and  glo- 
rify thy  name,  as  alone  holy?" — implies  that  the 
grounds  on  which  he  proceeds  are  to  be  so  fully 
made  known,  and  the  greatness  and  wisdom  of  the 
results  of  his  administration  to  be  so  conspicuous, 
that  none  can  resist  the  demonstration  of  his  be- 
nevolence and  skill,  that  none  can  escape  the  con- 
viction that  He  alone — the  All-knowing,  the  All- 
wise,  the  All-good,  the  Almighty — is  adequate  to 
condtict  the  government  of  his  empire  ;  that  all 
the  objections  of  his  enemies  are  groundless,  and 
all  the  doubts,  fears,  and  perplexities  of  his  people 
without  foundation.  And  tlie  prophecy — "  All 
nations  shall  come  and  worship  before  thee,  for  thy 
judgments  are  made  manifest" — denotes  that  the 
terrific  inflictions  by  which  he  is  to  destroy  his 
antagonists,  are  to  be  seen  by  the  nations  to  be  a 
vindication  of  himself,  and  be  the  means  of 
awakening  them  from  unbelief  to  a  conviction  of 
his  being,  perfections,  rights  and  dominion,  and 


LECTURE    TENTH.  169 

of  bringing  them  to  yield  him  acknowledgment 
and  homage. 

How  sublime  the  ascriptions  of  this  song,  from 
those  who  had  endured  the  most  cruel  persecutions 
for  his  sake,  and  whom  to  human  eyes  he  often 
seemed  to  have  deserted  to  the  malice  of  their  ene- 
mies. There  is  not  one  of  that  long  train  of  witnesses 
and  martyrs  that  refuses  to  join  in  the  song.  What 
a  sense  it  bespeaks  of  the  rightfulness  of  his  sover- 
eignty !  What  an  acquaintance  with  the  reasons 
of  his  procedure  !  What  a  comprehension  of  the 
results  that  are  to  spring  from  the  display  that 
men  will  make  of  their  hostility  to  him,  and  from 
the  exhibition  of  his  righteousness  towards  them  ! 
What  a  knowledge  and  realization  that  his  ways, 
which  have  seemed  unsearchable,  are  at  length  to 
become  invested,  in  the  eyes  of  all  his  children, 
with  dazling  light  and  beauty,  to  contribute  to  the 
resistless  energy  of  his  government,  to  subserve 
the  conversion  of  the  nations,  and  to  add  forever 
to  the  grandeur  and  blessedness  of  his  empire  1  I 
conclude  with  a  single  reflection. 

What  a  glorious  being  does  this  revelation  dis- 
cover Jesus  Christ  to  be  I  No  longer  a  sacrifice 
for  sin — no  longer  set  at  naught  by  his  enemies, 
he  stands  forth  in  all  tlie  radiance  of  his  glory, 
extolled  by  a  countless  multitude  of  shining,  im- 
mortal ones,  and  crowned  with  ineffable  beauty 
and  splendor.  Will  you  not  worshij)  such  a  Sa- 
vior ?  Is  there  any  disgrace  in  serving  such  a 
16 


170  LECTURE    TENTH. 

Master  ?  No  !  no  ! !  It  will  dignify  your  nature, 
associate  you  with  all  the  good  and  great  of  the 
universe,  and  open  up  to  you  scenes  of  glory  and 
blessedness  through  eternal  ages. 


LECTURE   ELEVENTH. 


REVELATIONS,  CHAPTER  XV  :  5-XVI:  21. 

And  after  that  I  looked,  and,  behold,  the  temple  of  the  tabernacle 
of  the  testimony  in  heaven  was  opened  :  And  the  seven  angels  came 
out  of  the  temple,  having  the  seven  plagues,  clothed  in  pure  and  white 
linen,  and  having  their  breasts  girded  with  golden  girdles.  And  one  of 
the  four  beasts  gave  unto  the  seven  angels  seven  golden  vials  full  of  the 
wrath  of  God,  who  livcth  for  ever  and  ever.  And  the  temple  was  filled 
with  smoke  from  the  glory  of  God,  and  from  his  power ;  and  no  man 
was  able  to  enter  into  the  temple,  till  the  seven  plagues  of  the  seven 
angels  were  fulfilled. — Rev.  xv  :    6-8. 

The  temple  of  the  tahernacle  which  was  opened 
was  the  inner  temple,  in  which  was  the  throne  of 
the  Almiglity.  This  is  shown  hy  the  fact,  that 
John  saw  tlie  golden  vials  given  to  the  angels  hy 
one  of  the  four  living  creatures,  whose  station  was 
in  the  inner  temple.  The  pure  white  linen  and 
the  golden  girdles  of  the  angels  denote  their  recti- 
tude and  dignity.  The  delivery  to  them  of  the 
vials  hy  one  of  the  living  creatures,  indicates  tliat 
the  august  attendants  in  the  presence  of  God, 
whom  tliey  represent,  are  informed  of  his  avenging 
judgments.  The  tem{)le  was  filled  with  smoke 
from  the  glory  of  God  and  from  his  power.     This 


172  LECTURE     ELEVENTH. 

denotes  that  the  awful  displays  of  his  justice  and 
sovereignty,  which  the  destruction  of  his  enemies 
is  to  form,  are  to  strike  the  heavenly  hosts  with 
the  profoundest  sense  of  their  infinite  distance 
from  him,  with  the  inflexibleness  of  his  rectitude, 
and  the  weakness  of  his  enemies,  thus  filling  them 
with  awe  and  submission.  It  is  also  said  that  no 
one  was  able  to  enter  the  temple  until  the  seven 
plagues  of  the  seven  angels  should  be  fulfilled — 
i.  e.  no  incense  symbolic  of  prayers  by  the  saints 
on  earth,  for  the  salvation  of  his  foes,  is  to  be  of- 
fered during  that  period.  His  judgments  are  to 
be  felt,  therefore,  by  the  church  on  earth,  by  the 
redeemed  in  heaven,  and  by  the  angelic  hosts,  to 
be  necessary  to  his  vindication,  and  to  the  great 
measures  of  grace  that  are  to  follow. 

And  I  heard  a  great  voice  out  of  the  temple  saying  to  the  seven 
angels,  Go  your  ways,  and  pour  out  the  vials  of  the  wrath  of  God 
upon  the  earth.  And  the  first  went  and  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the 
earth  ;  and  there  fell  a  noisome  and  grievous  sore  upon  the  men  which 
had  the  mark  of  the  beast,  and  upon  them  which  worshipped  his 
image. — Bev.  xvi :  1—2. 

With  the  beginning  of  the  seven  vials  there  is 
evidently  a  new  prophetic  series  commenced.  We 
go  back  to  a  period  of  time  long  prior  to  that  re- 
ferred to  by  the  seventh  trumpet  and  the  recent 
visions.  And  we  advance  again,  as  in  the  seven 
seals  and  the  seven  trumpets,  to  the  period  of  the 
advent  of  the  Son  of  God,  and  of  the  establish- 
ment of  his  visible  and  universal  reign  on  earth. 


LECTURE    ELEVENTH.  173 

The  office  of  the  seven  angels  is  merely  to  assist 
the  revelation,  by  designating  the  commencement 
of  the  seven  judgments,  not  to  symbolize  the 
agents  on  earth  by  whom  they  are  caused.  The 
direction  by  a  voice  from  the  temple  to  pour  out 
their  vials,  indicates  that  the  appointment  by  the 
Most  High,  of  the  great  judgments  thus  pre- 
figured, was  to  be  publicly  announced  in  heaven. 
The  land  or  earth,  as  distinguished  from  the  sea, 
rivers,  fountains  and  air,  denotes  the  population  of 
an  empire  under  a  settled  government.  The  men 
on  whom  this  vial  fell  were  those  who  have  the 
mark  of  the  wild  beast.  They  live  under  the  gov- 
ernments that  are  symbolized  by  that  monster, 
and  are,  therefore,  inliabitants  of  the  ten  king- 
doms. They  worship  its  image  also,  and  either 
live  therefore  under  the  dominion  of  the  Catholic 
hierarchies,  or  acknowledge  their  authority  and 
offer  their  worship.  The  shower  from  the  vial  ex- 
cited on  those  on  whom  it  fell  a  malignant  and  in- 
fectious ulcer,  irritating  to  them  and  dangerous  to 
those  who  came  within  their  influence.  This  ulcer 
is  symbolic,  and  roj)rcsent8  an  analogous  disease  of 
the  mind — a  restlcHsness  and  rancor  of  jjassion,  ox- 
asperated  by  noxious  oj)inions,  that  fill  it  witli  a 
sense  of  obstruction  and  misery,  like  the  torture  of 
an  ulcerated  body.  Tin's  vial  is  referred  generally 
to  the  first  step  in  tlie  French  revolution.  And  no 
symbol  can  be  more  suited  to  portray  the  restless- 
ness under  injury — the  ardor  of  resentment,  hato 


174  LECTUEE    ELEVENTH. 

and  revenge,  and  the  contagion  of  false  principles, 
that  marked  the  beginning  of  the  disquiets  of  the 
European  states,  towards  the  close  of  the  last  cen- 
tury. The  middle  and  lower  classes  in  France 
were  suddenly  seized  with  an  insupportable  sense 
of  their  oppression  by  the  monarchy — of  their  de- 
gradation by  the  nobles — of  the  deception  and  ty- 
ranny practised  on  them  by  the  church,  and  of 
their  being  deprived  of  the  improvement  and  hap- 
piness, in  every  form,  to  which  they  were  entitled. 
This  feeling  was  roused  to  a  ten-fold  energy,  by 
the  opinion,  that  the  power  of  the  monarch,  the 
nobility  and  the  ecclesiastics  was  a  sheer  usurpa- 
tion and,  therefore,  an  atrocious  crime,  demanding 
instant  resistance  and  condign  punishment.  With 
this  denial  of  the  title  of  the  king  and  nobles, 
were  mingled  new  and  false  theories  of  liberty, 
property,  government,  religion,  and  national 
glory.  The  whole  kingdom  thus  became  restless 
and  inflamed.  It  resembled  men  whom  some  nox- 
ious element  has  touched  and  covered  with  a  burn- 
ing eruption.  But  the  exasperating  vial  fell  not 
alone  on  France.  The  angel,  scattering  a  shower 
on  Belgium,  Holland,  and  the  valley  of  the  Rhine, 
crossed  the  Alps,  drenched  the  vales  of  Italy, 
swept  around  over  the  German  Empire  and  British 
Isles,  and  finally  dashed  the  dregs  of  vengeance  on 
the  peninsula  of  Portugal  and  Spain,  and  the  dis- 
tant southern  shores  of  America.  The  whole  ten 
kingdoms  thus  became  the  scene  of  a  similar  dis- 


LECTURE    ELEVENTH.  175 

content  with  the  estaLlished  governments,  and  of 
wild  and  desperate  projects  of  revolution.  These 
events  began  about  the  year  1786. 

And  the  second  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  sea;  and  it  be- 
came as  the  blood  of  a  dead  man  ;  and  every  living  soul  died  in  the 
sea. — Rev.  ivi :   3. 

The  sea  denotes  the  population  of  a  central 
kingdom  in  violent  commotion.  Wherever  the 
drops,  showered  from  the  vase,  fell  on  the  waters, 
they  became  gore,  as  tliough  one  had  bled  there  to 
death.  The  expanse  became  spotted  witli  blood, 
like  a  vast  battle-field,  over  which  thousands  re- 
cently slaughtered  are  strewn.  And  all  the  living 
creatures  to  which  the  waters  had  been  a  source  of 
sustenance,  were  destroyed  by  them.  The  blood- 
spots  on  the  waves  and  tlie  death  of  the  fish,  de- 
note both  that  the  blood  of  those  whom  the  waters 
represent  was  to  be  shed,  and  that  they  were  to 
shed  the  blood  of  others,  sustaining  a  relation  to 
them  like  that  of  fish  to  the  waters  which  tliey  in- 
habit. This  is  implied  in  the  color  of  the  waves 
before  the  deatli  of  the  creatures,  and  then  in  their 
causing  the  death  of  those  creatures.  The  sea  is 
to  tlie  animals  that  live  in  it  what  a  jjeopk;  is  to 
the  monarch,  nobles,  and  ecclesiastical  dignitaries, 
who  owe  to  them  their  station  and  support.  The 
bloodiness  of  tlie  water,  therefore,  by  wliich  all 
creatures  inliabiting  it  died,  indicates  tliat  tiioso 
slaughterers  of  one  anotlicr,  whom  the  waves  ro- 


1*1%  LECTURE    ELEVENTH. 

present,  are  also  to  destroy  all  orders  of  their  su- 
periors. 

This  symbol  denotes  the  second  great  act  in 
the  tragedy  of  the  French  revolution,  in  which  the 
people  'slaughtered  one  another  in  feuds,  insurrec- 
tions and  civil  wars.  They  also  exterminated  the 
king  and  queen,  nobles  and  prelates,  civil  magis- 
trates and  priests,  military  commanders  and  sol- 
diers, persons  of  illustrious  descent,  of  distin- 
guished reputation,  talents  and  wealth.  The 
slaughter  commenced  in  the  attack  on  the  Bastile, 
July  14,  1789.  Similar  violences  were  soon  after 
perpetrated  in  every  part  of  the  kingdom.  The 
people  of  the  rural  districts  rose  generally  in  re- 
bellion, and  slaughtered  the  nobles,  their  families 
and  supporters.  In  Paris  a  revolutionary  tribunal 
was  established,  and  the  extermination  of  promi- 
nent citizens  was  commenced  on  a  vast  scale.  The 
whole  nation  was  drenched  in  blood. 

And  the  third  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  rirers  and  foun- 
'ains  of  waters,  and  they  became  blood.  And  I  heard  the  angel  of 
the  waters  say,  Thou  art  righteous,  0  Lord,  which  art,  and  wast,  and 
shalt  be,  because  thou  hast  judged  thus.  For  they  have  shed  the 
blood  of  saints  and  prophets,  and  thou  hast  given  them  blood  to  drink; 
for  they  are  worthy.  And  I  heard  another  out  of  the  altar  say.  Even 
so,  Lord  God  Almighty,  true  and  righteous  are  thy  judgments. — Jiev. 
xvi:  4-7. 

Eivers  and  fountains  are  to  a  sea  what  smaller 
exterior  communities  are  to  a  great  central  people. 
As  the  Frencli  nation  was  the  sea,  the  rivers  and 
fountains  are  the  remote  inhabitants  of  the  other 


LECTURE     ELEVENTH.  177 

apocalyptic  kingdoms.  The  blood  with  which  the 
rivers  and  fountains  ran,  wherever  the  shower  of 
the  vial  fell,  denotes  that  their  blood  whom  the  wa- 
ters symbolize  was  to  be  shed,  and  that  they  also 
were  to  shed,  the  blood  of  others.  This  is  shown 
by  the  statement  that  blood  was  to  be  their  drink 
— a  means  by  which  they  should  gratify  their  pas- 
sions, be  nourished,  and  continue  to  subsist.  The 
exclamation  of  the  angel  who  poured  out  the  vial, 
and  the  response  of  the  angel  at  the  altar,  show 
that  the  fountains  and  rivers  symbolize  nations — 
that  those  who  were  to  suffer  and  inflict  the  slaugh- 
ters indicated  by  the  blood,  had  persecuted  the 
saints  and  witnesses  of  God,  and  shed  their  blood ; 
and  that  the  destruction  to  which  they  were 
doomed  was  to  be  in  retribution  of  their  crimes, 
and  was  to  be  celebrated,  as  "  true  and  righteous  " 
by  the  heavenly  hosts. 

This  symbol  denotes  the  vast  bloodshed  in  the 
other  a2)0calyptic  kingdoms  by  the  wars  that 
sprang  out  of  the  French  revolution.  The  contest 
was  begun  by  the  French  with  Austria  in  17'J2. 
It  soon  extended  to  Holland,  Sardinia,  llussia, 
Italy,  Spain,  England,  Prussia,  Switzerland,  Den- 
mark, and  Portugal.  It  continued  for  more  than 
twenty  years.  The  blood  of  millions  of  the  French 
was  poured  out  on  the  soil  of  other  kingdoms  ; 
millions  of  other  nations  were  slain  in  resJHtinjr 
their  aggressions  ;  vast  multitudes  unarmed  of 
both  sexes  were  put  to  death.     All  those  nations 


1Y8  LECTURE    ELEVENTH. 

h.ad  been  persecutors  of  the  saints  and  prophets, 
and  blood  was  given  them  to  drink.  War  became 
their  trade,  and  the  means  by  which  they  main- 
tained their  national  existence. 

And  the  fourth  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  sun ;  and  power 
was  given  unto  him  to  scorch  men  with  fire.  And  men  were  scorched 
with  great  heat,  and  blasphemed  the  name  of  God,  which  hath  power 
over  these  plagues :  and  they  repented  not  to  give  him  glory. — Bev. 
xvi:  8-9. 

Those  who  govern  a  kingdom  are  to  their  sub- 
jects what  the  sun  is  to  the  land  and  sea.  Their 
office  is  to  protect,  to  instruct  and  1o  comfort,  as 
the  office  of  the  sun  is  to  yield  that  measure  of 
light  and  heat  which  is  most  favorable  to  animal 
and  vegetable  life.  But  when  they  acquire  un- 
limited power  and  employ  it  in  oppressing  their 
people,  they  become  to  the  victims  of  their  ty- 
ranny what  the  sun  would  be  to  men,  were  its  rays 
increased  to  a  scorching  heat.  The  symbol  de- 
notes, therefore,  that  the  rulers  of  the  people,  on 
whom  the  former  vials  were  poured,  were  to  be 
armed  with  destructive  powers,  and  employ  them 
in  the  most  violent  oppression,  and  that  the  vic- 
tims of  their  cruelty  would  blaspheme  the  name  of 
God,  who  appoints  those  sufferings  in  punishment 
of  their  crimes  against  him,  and  not  change  to 
give  him  glory.  A  counterpart  to  this  symbol  is 
seen  in  the  despotic  power  of  the  revolutionary  ru- 
lers of  France,  and  the  oppressions  with  which 
they  scorched  that  people  for  more  than  twenty 


LECTURE    ELEVENTH.  179 

years.  Not  to  specify,  I  will  merely  say  that 
every  kind  of  misery  with  which  the  wicked  are 
ever  scourged  by  an  avenging  Providence,  was  in- 
flicted on  the  nation  in  an  extreme  degree.  Every 
country  which  they  invaded  was  devastated  by  simi- 
lar outrages.  Yet  instead  of  being  reclaimed  from 
idolatry  and  atheism,  they  continued  to  deny  the 
existence  of  God,  to  disown  all  responsibility  to 
him,  or  to  claim  his  sanction  of  their  crimes. 
They  repented  not  to  give  him  glory,  but  con- 
tinue even  to  the  present  day  a  nation  of  infidels 
and  apostates. 

And  the  fifth  angel  poured  ont  his  vial  upon  the  seat  of  the  beast . 
and  his  kingdom  was  full  of  darkness;  and  they  gnawed  their  tonguea 
for  pain,  and  blasphemed  the  God  of  heaven  because  of  their  pains 
and  their  sores,  and  repented  not  of  their  deeds. — liev.  xvi :   10-11. 

The  ascription  of  a  throne  and  a  kingdom  to  the 
wild  beast  proves  that  he  is  the  symbol  of  the  ru- 
lers of  an  empire.  The  effect  of  the  vial  on  the 
throne  is  not  depicted,  but  only  its  consequence  to 
the  kingdom.  The  darkness  prefigures  tlio  hu- 
miliation of  its  power,  the  obscuration  of  its  glory, 
and  the  extinction  of  its  hopes.  The  action  of  the 
survivors  is  such  as  might  naturally  sjjring  from 
the  disappointment,  the  chagrin  and  the  despair 
excited  by  such  a  catastrophe.  They  gnawed  their 
tongues  for  pain,  and  continued  to  blaspheme  God 
by  refusing  to  acknowledge  his  hand  in  their  over- 
throw. 

The  French  nation  is  still   alluded  to,  and  tho 


180  LECTURE     ELEVENTH. 

event  indicated  by  the  symbol  is  probably  the  sub- 
version of  the  imperial  throne_,  and  the  re-establish- 
ment of  the  Bourbon  dynasty  in  1814  and  1815. 
Or  it  may  be  the  total  subversion  of  monarchy  and 
the  expulsion  of  the  royal  family  by  the  revolution 
of  1848.  The  kingdom  was  felt  to  be  shrouded  in 
darkness,  its  power  forever  broken,  its  glory 
eclipsed,  its  prospects  of  greatness  extinguished. 
The  nobility,  the  officers  of  government,  and  the 
higher  classes  were  devoured  with  chagrin,  and 
with  atheistic  impiety  blasphemed  God,  by  disavow- 
ing his  dominion,  justifying  their  crimes,  and 
denying  their  merit  of  such  retribution.  They 
changed  from  none  of  their  works. 

And  the  sixth  angel  poured  out  his  vial  npon  the  great  river  Eu- 
phrates ;  and  the  water  thereof  was  dried  up,  that  the  way  of  the 
kings  of  the  east  might  be  prepared. — Hev.  xvi :  12. 

It  was  by  a  diversion  of  the  Euphrates  from  its 
channel,  that  a  way  was  prepared  for  the  leaders  of 
the  Medes  and  Persians,  who  were  from  the  East,  to 
enter  the  walls  of  Babylon,  and  thus  to  subvert  the 
<»mpire.  The  river  is  here  used  as  a  symbol  in  an 
analogous  relation.  It  is  by  the  diversion  or  exhaus- 
tion of  something  having  a  likeness  of  Euphrates 
in  its  relation  to  Babylon,  that  the  way  is  to  be 
prt-pared  for  the  assault  and  overthrow  of  some  re- 
sembling kingdom.  But  great  Babylon,  the  city 
of  which  the  literal  Babylon  is  the  symbol,  is  the 
body  of  rulers  and  teachers  of  the  churches  of  the 


LECTURE     ELEVENTH.  181 

ten  kin<;(loms,  erected  into  hierarchies,  and  na- 
tionalized by  their  governments.  Her  fall  is  to  be 
a  dejection  from  her  station  as  civilly  established. 
The  evaporation  of  her  river  is  doubtless,  there- 
fore, to  be  the  alienation  and  withdrawment  from 
her  of  her  supporters,  by  the  dissipation  of  their 
faith  in  her  pretensions,  of  their  awe  of  her  au- 
thority and  of  their  approbation  of  her  rule,  by 
which  they  have  been  kept  in  subjection.  The 
kin»^s  from  the  East  are  those  who,  after  having 
])rofluced  that  alienation  of  her  supporters^  are  to 
assail  and  preci[)itate  her  from  her  station.  This 
symbol  indicates,  then,  that  agencies  are  to  be  ex- 
erted by  which  vast  crowds  of  the  supporters  of 
national  establishments  are  to  be  withdrawn  from 
them.  Tlie  reasons  for  their  support  by  tlie  civil 
government,  whether  they  lie  in  the  I'aith  of  the 
])eople,  or  the  policy  of  the  rulers,  are  to  be  re- 
moved, and  the  general  mind  pre[)ar('d  for  their 
di.scontinuance  as  estubliHhments.  This  vial  has 
Hlrcady  begun  to  be  poured  ;  the  agents  who  are 
to  exhauKt  the  great  Euphrates  of  the  apostate 
I'abyloii  have  commenced  their  oflice.  The  with- 
drawal of  a  large  body  of  ministers  from  the  Scot- 
ti^li  national  church  ;  the  secession  from  the  Catho- 
lic churches  of  Germany,  and  the  resignation  of 
their  ollice  by  a  portion  of  the  ministers  in  Swit- 
zerland, arc  events  that  accord  with  the  symboliza- 
tion.  They  are  the  beginning  of  movements,  j)er- 
haj)S,  that  arc  at  length  to  reduce  to  a  shallow 
16 


182  LECTURE     ELEVENTH. 

stream  tlie  mighty  current  that  has  hitherto  run 
heneath  the  walls  of  the  great  city.  The  Eu- 
phrates thus  will  be  dried  up,  that  the  way  of  the 
kings  of  the  East  may  be  prepared. 

And  I  saw  three  unclean  spirits  like  frogs  come  out  of  the  mouth  of 
the  dragon,  and  out  of  the  mouth  of  thq  beast,  and  out  of  the  mouth 
of  the  false  prophet.  For  they  are  the  spirits  of  devils,  working  mira- 
cles, which  go  fo'th  unto  the  kings  of  the  earth  and  of  the  whole 
world,  to  gather  them  to  the  battle  of  that  great  day  of  God  Almighty. 
Behold,  I  come  as  a  thief.  Blessed  in  he  that  watcheth,  and  keepeth 
his  garments,  lest  he  walk  naked,  and  they  see  bis  shame.  And  he 
gathered  them  together  into  a  place  called  in  the  Hebrew  tongue  Ar- 
mageddon.—/^eu.  xvi :   13-16. 

Unclean  spirits  are  demons  which  enter  into  hu- 
man beings  and  excite  them  to  lawless  appetites 
and  works.  But  these  spirits  were  clothed  with 
forms,  as  apj)ears  from  their  being  compared  to 
frogs — hideous,  >  'ovelling,  noisy  and  amphibious. 
The  dragon  is  aUo  a  bodied  shape,  and  is  the  sym- 
bol of  the  rulers  of  the  eastern  Roman  empire, 
su;  porting  an  apostate  church.  The  wild  beast  re- 
presents the  civil  rulers  of  the  kingdoms  of  the 
western  Roman  empire,  and  the  felse  prophet,  the 
ecclesiastic  and  civil  hierarchy  of  the  papal  states. 
These  unclean  spirits  work  wonders,  as  the  false 
prophet  professes  to  work  miracles.  They  are  to 
be  ecclesiastics,  therefore,  and  to  claim  a  divine 
sanction  to  their  mission.  They  go  to  the  kings  of 
the  whole  world  to  gatlier  them  to  the  battle  of 
th.it  great  day  of  God  Almighty.  That  great  day 
is  the  day  when  the  Son  of  God  shall  visibly  des- 


LECTURE     ELEVENTH.  183 

cend,  and  cast  the  wild  beast  and' false  prophet  into 
the  lake  of  fire,  and  destroy  the  kings  and  their 
armies.  As  the  kings  of  the  earth  are  thus  dis- 
tinguished from  the  wild  beast  and  dragon,  and 
false  prophet,  who  represent  eastern  and  western, 
and  papal  Rome,  they  are  the  chiefs  of  other  na- 
tions, in  which  there  are  worsliipers  of  God. 
The  gathering  of  the  anti-christian  powers  to  the 
battle  of  that  day  is  to  be  their  la^^t  effort  to  oppose 
the  kingdom  of  the  Redeemer.  As  the  spirits 
symbolize  ecclesiastics,  and  go  from  the  mouth  of 
the  three  great  anti-christian  powers,  they  denote 
men  who  are  to  be  prompted  by  the  principles  of 
those  usurping  and  apostate  combinations.  They 
are  to  be  sent  forth  by  them,  and  are  to  go  to  ex- 
cite in  the  rulers  of  the  other  nations  the  same  hos- 
tility to  the  kingdom  of  Christ  as  reigns  in  the 
breast  of  the  dragon,  wild  beast  and  false  prophet. 
They  are  to  induce  the  kings  of  the  whole  earth  to 
unite  in  a  war  to  prevent  the  establishment  of 
Christ's  kingdom,  and  to  assemble  them  at  a  place 
called  Armageddon,  which  denotes  the  place  of 
their  destruction.  Ah  they  would  hardly  contend 
directly  with  tlie  Almighty  Avenger  at  his  advent, 
and  as  the  true  worshipers  wcjuld  scarcely  defend 
themselves  by  violence,  the  aim  probably  of  the 
kings  is  to  be  to  refute  the  faith  of  believers  in  an 
indirect  manner.  As  this  conspiracy  is  immedi- 
ately to  precede  the  advent  of  Christ,  it  is  to  fol- 
low the   drying  of  P^nphratcs^    the  slaugbter  and 


184  LECTURE    ELEVENTH. 

resurrection  of  the  witnesses,  and  the  fall  of  great 
Bahylon.  It  is  doubtless  to  be  at  the  period  of 
tliat  last  persecution  of  the  saints,  which  is  to  fol- 
low the  final  threatenings  of  vengeance  on  the 
worshippers  of  the  wild  beast  and  its  image  (xiv  : 
9_I4).  Behold  I  come  as  a  thief.  Blessed  is  ho 
who  watches,  and  keeps  his  garments,  that  he  may 
not  walk  naked,  and  they  may  see  his  shame. 
This  means  that  the  people  of  God  will  be  expect- 
ing his  advent,  but  that  the  world  at  large  will  be 
taken  by  surprise,  and  that  all  who  are  not  watch- 
ing and  ready  for  the  dread  event,  will  be  exposed 
by  his  appearing  to  public  disgrace. 

And  the  seventh  angel  poured  out  his  vial  into  the  air ;  and  there 
came  a  great  voice  out  of  the  temple  of  heaven,  from  the  throne,  say- 
in"-,  It  is  done.  And  there  were  voices,  and  thunders,  and  lightnings  . 
and  there  was  a  great  earthquake,  such  as  was  not  since  men  were 
upon  the  earth,  so  mighty  an  earthquake,  and  so  great.  And  the 
great  city  was  divided  into  three  parts,  and  the  cities  of  the  nations 
fell :  and  great  Babylon  came  in  remembrance  before  God,  to  give 
unto  her  the  cup  of  the  wine  of  the  fierceness  of  his  wrath.  And 
every  island  fled  away,  and  the  mountains  were  not  found.  And  there 
fell  upon  men  a  great  hail  out  of  heaven,  every  stone  about  the  weight 
of  a  talent :  and  men  blasphemed  God  because  of  the  plague  of  the 
hail ;   for  the  plague  thereof  was  exceeding  great.— iJev.  xvi :  17-21. 

The  other  vials  were  poured  on  different  parts  of 
the  symbolic  world — this,  into  the  air  which  en- 
velops the  globe — i.  e.  the  great  changes  which 
follow  it  are  not  to  be  limited  to  the  Roman  em- 
pire, but  to  extend  to  all  the  kingdoms  of  the 
world.  Lightnings,  voices  and  thunders  are  sym- 
bols of  the  vehement  thoughts  and  passionate  ex- 


LECTURE     ELEVENTH.  185 

pressions  of  multitudes,  occasioned  by  the  sudden 
discovery  of  momentous  truth.  An  earthquake 
denotes  a  civil  revolution,  in  which  the  whole  sur- 
face of  society  is  thrown  into  disorder,  and  ancient 
political  institutions  shaken  down.  This  convul- 
sion, the  like  to  whicli  had  ndt  been  since  men 
were  on  earth,  is  the  same  as  that  of  the  sixth 
seal,  and  is  to  extend  to  all  the  governments  of 
the  earth.  Great  Babylon,  which  had  previously 
fallen,  is  then  to  separate  into  three  parts,  not  geo- 
graphically, but  in  respect  to  leaders,  principles, 
cr  policy.  The  cities  of  the  nations,  as  distin- 
guished from  the  great  city,  are  the  hierarchies  of 
t!,e  nations,  without  the  ten  kingdoms,  as  the 
Russian,  the  Greek,  the  Armenian,  the  Syrian- 
These  are  also  then  to  fall.  God  is  then  to  pour 
on  Babylon  that  storm  of  wrath  by  which  she  is 
to  be  utterly  destroyed.  Every  island — i.  e.  small- 
er combination  of  men — is  to  be  dissolved,  and 
every  mountain — i  e.  miglity  government — is  to 
vanish  away.  A  luiil-storin  is  a  symbol  of  sudden 
and  resistless  strokes,  by  which  men  arc  smitten 
down  from  happiness  to  misery.  Such  a  tempest 
is  to  beat  on  the  men  who  belong  to  the  train  of 
anti-Christ,  and, they  are  to  blaspheme  God,  be- 
cause of  the  greatness  of  their  cahimitie><.  The 
revolutions  and  contests  indicated  by  tlicse  sym- 
bols, are  doubtless  to  follow  tlic  advent  of  Christ 
to  raise  the  dead  saints :  they  are  to  precede  the 
vintage  and  the  harvest,  and  to  occupy  a  considera- 
ble period. 


LECTURE    TWELFTH. 


REVELATIONS,  CHAPTER  XVII:  1-XIX:  10. 

And  there  came  one  of  the  seven  angels  which  had  the  seren  vials, 
and  talked  with  me,  saying  unto  me,  Come  hither;  I  will  show  unto 
thee  the  judgment  of  the  great  whore  that  sitteth  upon  many  waters  : 
With  whom  the  kings  of  the  earth  have  committed  fornication,  and 
the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  have  been  made  drnnk  with  the  wine  of  her 
fornication.  So  he  carried  me  away  in  the  spirit  into  the  wilderness : 
and  I  saw  a  woman  sit  upon  a  scarlet  coloured  beast,  full  of  names  of 
blasphemy,  having  seven  heads  and  ten  horns.  And  the  woman  wa« 
arrayed  in  purple  and  scarlet  colour,  and  decked  with  gold  and  pre- 
cious stones  and  pearls,  having  a  golden  cup  in  her  hand  full  of 
abominations  and  filthiness  of  her  fornication  :  And  upon  her  fore- 
head wat  a  name  written,  MYSTERY,  BABYLON  THE  GREAT, 
THE  MOTHER  OF  HARLOTS  AND  ABOMINATIONS  OF  THE 
Earth.  And  I  saw  the  woman  drunken  with  the  blood  of  the  saints, 
and  with  the  blood  of  the  martyrs  of  Jesus  :  and  when  I  saw  her,  I 
wondered  with  great  admiration. — liev.  xvii :  1-6. 

Having  gone  through  the  seven  vials,  the  apos- 
tle, or  the  Holy  Spirit  through  him,  pauses  in  his 
narrative,  for  the  purpose  of  illustrating  what  had 
preceded.  If  there  be  repetition,  it  is  designed  to 
make  the  entire  subject  more  intelligible  and  im- 
pressive. The  opprobrious  name  giv^n  to  the  wo- 
man determines  its  application  to  a  corrupt  and 
false    church,    aa   opposed    to    the    ''  Bride,  the 


LECTURE    TWELFTH.  187 

Lamb's  wife."  This  epithet  could  not  be  given  to 
pagan  or  Mahometan  religions,  as  they  have  not 
been  false  to  faith  previously  pledged.  It  belongs 
exclusively  to  a  church  that  has  fallen  away,  that 
has  apostatized  from  her  spiritual  head,  and  has 
been  playing  the  liarlot  spiritually  with  the  kings 
of  the  earth.  She  is  said  to  sit  upon  many  waters. 
In  verse  fifteenth  these  waters  are  explained  as  re- 
presenting many  nations — i.  e.  the  nations  of  the 
Roman  empire  after  the  emergence  of  the  ten 
kingdoms.  "The  kings  of  the  earth  that  have 
committed  fornication  with  her"  are  all  those 
governments  which  have  been  within  the  pale  of 
her  communion,  and  whose  subjects  have  imbibed 
her  doctrines,  worsliip  and  practices,  until  they 
have  been  made  drunk  with  the  wine  of  her  forni- 
cation. Being  wrapt  in  the  spirit  of  inspiration, 
John  is  conducted  into  the  wilderness,  where  the 
scene  of  his  vision  is  laid.  He  saw  a  woman  sit- 
ting on  a  beast — a  significant  emblem  of  a  church 
supported  l)y  an  empire.  The  beast  is  covered 
with  names  of  blasithemy,  symb(;lizing  its  arroga- 
tion  of  the  rights  of  God,  and  its  assumption  of 
authority  over  his  legislation.  It  also  has  seven 
heads  and  ten  horns.  This  is  manifestly  the  same 
beast  as  the  one  described  in  tlie  thirteenth  chapter, 
and  here  as  there,  the  seven  heads  imply  the  seven 
forms  of  government  that  successively  prevailed  in 
the  Roman  empire  ;  and  the  ten  horns  refer  to  the 
ten  kingdoms,  into  which   that  empire  was  finally 


183  LECTURB    TWELFTH. 

divided.  The  purple  and  scarlet  of  the  woman — 
her  gold  and  gems,  denote  her  wealth,  luxury  and 
pomp.  Her  golden  cup  indicates  her  artful  agencj 
in  seducing  the  nations  to  apostacy.  The  inscrip- 
tion on  her  forehead  is  significant  of  her  character. 
*' Mystery."  Her  deeds  are  wrapt  in  darkness. 
The  apostle  Paul  has  denominated  the  whole  sys- 
tem ''  the  mystery  of  iniquity."  Another  inscrip- 
tion is  *'  Babylon  the  great  " — i.  e.  the  nationalized 
hierarchies  of  the  papal  kingdoms.  What  Baby- 
lon was  to  the  old  testament  church,  she  is  to  the 
new,  and  such  is  to  be  her  end.  She  is  also  styled 
^'  The  mother  of  harlots  and  abominations  of  the 
earth."  There  are  other  national  and  corrupt 
churches  besides  that  of  Rome,  but  they  have  de- 
scended from  her.  She  is,  therefore,  the  mother, 
and  they  are  the  daughters.  Every  church  that  is 
connected  with  the  state  is  essentially  papal  in  its 
spirit.  She  must  receive  members,  knowing  them 
to  be  unreconciled  to  G-od — must  adopt  a  faith  pre- 
scribed by  the  civil  rulers — must  persecute  those 
who  dissent  from  that  faith.  And  these  are  the 
original  elements  of  Romanism.  ''She  was  drunk 
with  the  blood  of  the  saints" — words  indicating 
the  infuriate  joy  she  derives  from  the  slaughter  of 
the  witnesses  of  Jesus.  John's  wonder  at  this, 
plainly  evinces  that  Christian,  and  not  pagan 
Rome  was  intended.  It  could  be  no  matter  of  sur- 
prise to  him,  that  a  heathen  city  should  persecute 
Christians.     He  himself  had   seen,  and  was  even 


LECTDRB     TWBLFXn.  189 

then  suffering  persecution  under  Doraitian ;  but  that 
a  city  professedly  Christian  should  riot  in  the  blood 
of  the  saints,  caused  him  ''  to  wonder  with  great 
admiration." 

And  the  angel  said  unto  me,  Wherefore  didst  thou  marvel  7  I  will 
tell  thee  the  mystery  of  the  woman,  and  of  the  beast  that  carrieth 
her,  which  hath  the  seven  heads  and  ten  horns.  The  beast  that  thou 
sawest  was,  and  is  not ;  and  shall  ascend  out  of  (he  bottomless  pit,  and 
go  into  perdition :  and  they  that  dwell  on  the  earth  shall  wonder,  whos« 
names  were  not  written  in  the  book  of  life  from  the  foundation  of  tht 
world,  when  they  behold  the  beast  that  was,  and  is  not,  and  yet  is. — 
Jitv.  xvii :    7-8. 

It  was  not  sufficient  to  represent  these  things  ia 
a  vision.  The  angel  now  promises  to  explain  the 
meaning  of  the  woman  and  of  the  beast  that  car- 
ried her.  The  wild  beast  on  which  she  is  borne 
was,  and  is  not,  and  yet  is.  You  remember  that 
the  wild  beast  has  been  regarded  throughout  our 
exposition,  as  a  symbol  of  the  civil  rulers  of  the 
Human  emi>ire.  Its  seven  heads  denote  the  sevea 
orders  of  rulers  in  the  ancient  empire  ;  and  its  ten 
horns  denote  the  ten  kingdoms  into  which  it  was 
finally  divided.  At  the  time  indicated  by  the 
vision,  the  supreme  authority  had  passed  from  the 
heads  to  the  horns.  While  these^  seven  heads 
ruled  successively,  the  wild  beast  was,  but  as  at 
the  period  referred  to  by  the  vision,  tiie  dominion 
was  to  pass  over  to  the  horns,  the  ivn  kingdoms 
were  to  be  established,  the  government  of  a  head 
was  no  longer  to  be  exercised.  This  state  of 
things  is,  therefore,  described   by  the  expression — 


190  LECTURE     TWELFTH. 

**  the  wild  beast  is  not."  And  yet  these  ten  king- 
doms exert  a  sway  essentially  the  same,  maintain- 
ing the  laws  of  the  ancient  empire  in»a  large  de- 
gree, uniting  to  support  the  same  religion  as  that 
■which  the  rulers  denoted  by  the  seventh  head  sup- 
ported, and  like  those  rulers,  usurping  the  pre- 
rogatives of  God,  and  nationalizing  the  church. 
Hence  it  is  said  "  the  wild  beast  yet  is."  It  was 
once  as  the  head  of  the  ancient  empire  ;  it  is  not, 
at  the  period  referred  to,  because  the  government  is 
no  longer  centered  in  one  head,  but  divided  into 
ten  kingdoms  ;  and  yet  it  is,  because  these  king- 
doms have  one  mind,  and  give  their  power  and 
strength  unto  the  beast.  In  this  respect  they  are 
an  eighth,  formed  of  the  seven,  and  appropriately 
symbolized  by  the  same  monster  under  the  horns. 
The  abyss  (in  our  version  improperly  rendered  the 
bottomless  pit),  out  of  which  the  wild  beast  was 
about  to  ascend,  vvas  the  sea  of  many  waters^  by 
which  the  people,  multitude  and  nations  of  the 
empire,  after  the  fall  of  the  imperial  rule,  were 
symbolized. 

And  here  it  the  mind  which  hath  wisdom.  The  seven  heads  are 
seven  mountains,  on  which  the  woman  eitteth.  And  there  are  seven 
kings  ;  five  are  fallen,  and  one  is,  and  the  other  is  not  yet  come  ;  and 
when  he  cometh,  he  must  continue  a  short  space.  And  the  beast 
that  was,  and  is  not,  even  he  is  the  eighth,  and  is  of  the  seven,  and 
goeth  into  perdition.  And  the  ten  horns  which  thou  sawest  are  ten 
kings,  which  have  received  no  kingdom  as  yet;  but  receive  power  as 
kings  one  hour  with  the  beast.  These  have  one  mind,  and  shall  give 
their  power  and  strength  unto  the  beast.— ^eu.  xvii :  9-13. 

This  subject  deserves  the  deepest  attention — af- 


LECTURE    TWELFTH.  191 

fords  a  proper  exercise  of  the  understanding,  and 
demands  mature   wisdom.     The  seven   heads  are 
seven  mountains.     This  is  prohably  an  allusion  to 
the  fact,  that  ancient   Rome  was  built  on  seven 
hills.    But  it  is  explained  by  the  angel  as  referring 
not  to  the  geographical  position  of  the  city,  but  to 
the  seven  kinds  of  rulers  who  exercised  the  gov- 
ernment of  tiie  ancient  empire.     There  are  seven 
kings — i.  e.    kingdoms   or  forms  of   government. 
"  Five   are    fallen."     Five   of   these    forms — the 
kingly,  the  consular,  the  dictatorial,   the  decem- 
viral,  the    tribunitial — had    already  passed  away 
when  John  wrote.     One  then  existed,  which  was 
the  pagan   imperial,  and  the  other,  which  had  not 
yet  come,  and  was  to  continue  a  short  time,  was 
the  Christian  imperial.     It  commenced  with  Con- 
stantine,  A.  D.  312,   and  fell  at  the  subversion  of 
the  Western  empire  in  476.     The  eleventh  verse 
has  been  already  explained,  as  including  the  whole 
of  the  ten  kingdoms  under  an  eighth   head,  be- 
cause of  similar  character  with  the  seven.     These 
are  destined,  like  the  others,  to  destruction.     Tlie 
ten  horns  denoted  the  dynasties  of  the  kings  who 
had  not  arisen  at  the  j)eriod  of  the  vision,  and  who 
were  not  to  exist  until   the  emergence  of  the  wild 
beast  from  the  abyss  of  the  waters,  but  were  to  re- 
ceive power  at  that  period,  the  same  *Miour,"  and 
to  perpetuate  the  beast  itself  in  an  eighth  form,  by 
giving    their    power   and    authority   to    tlio    wild 
beast. 


192  LECTURE    TWELFTH. 

These  shall  make  war  with  the  Lamb,  and  the  Lamb  shall  overcoms 
them  :  for  he  is  Lord  of  lords,  and  King  of  kings  :  and  they  that  are 
with  him  are  called,  and  chosen,  and  faithful.  And  he  saith  unto  me, 
The  waters  which  thou  eawest,  where  the  whore  sitteth,  are  peoydes, 
and  multitudes,  and  nations,  and  tongues.  And  the  ten  horns  which 
thou  sawest  upon  the  beast,  these  shall  hate  the  whore,  and  shall  make 
her  desolate  and  naked,  and  shall  eat  her  flesh,  and  burn  her  with  tire. 
For  God  hath  put  in  their  hearts  to  fulfil  his  will,  and  to  agree,  and 
give  their  kingdom  unto  the  beast,  until  the  words  of  God  shall  be  ful- 
filled. And  the  woman  which  thou  sawest  is  that  great  city,  which 
reigneth  over  the  kings  of  the  earth.— ii«v.  xvii ;  li— 18. 

The  -wild  Least  is  in  this  eighth  form  to  go  into 
perdition,  for  the  kings  are  to  make  war  with  the 
Lamb,  and  the  Lamb  is  to  conquer  them,  because  he 
is  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords,  and  his  soldiers 
are  called,  and  chosen,  and  iaithful.  The  ques- 
tion between  them,  therefore,  is  one  of  preroga- 
tives and  su])remacy.  He  is  to  destroy  them,  be- 
cause he  is  not  subordinate  to  them,  as  they  as- 
fiume,  in  trying  to  exalt  their  authority  above  his, 
but  has  an  absolute  control  over  lords  and  kings, 
as  well  as  subjects.  They  who  are  with  him  have 
paid  the  homage  that  accords  with  his  rights — are 
the  worshipers  whom  he  calls  and  chooses,  and 
who,  by  their  fidelity,  give  })roof  of  their  raect- 
ness  for  his  acceptance.  The  waters  have  already 
been  explained  to  signify  the  poj.ulation  of  the 
empire. 

When  this  woman  has  nearly  run  her  career,  the 
kings  are  to  hate  her — to  rob  her  of  her  wealth 
and  ornaments — make  her  naked,  devour  her  flesh 
and  burn  her  with  fire.     God  hath  put  into  their 


LECTURE    TWELFTH.  193 

hearts  to  fulfill  his  ■will,  and  act  the  part  ascribed 
to  them,  until  his  words  are  accomplished.  The 
conversion  of  the  kings  to  hatred  of  the  great 
idolatress,  is  beginning  already  to  take  place  in 
the  disallowance  of  her  claims  in  most  of  the  Euro- 
pean Slates,  in  the  confiscation  of  her  property, 
and  the  slaughter  of  many  of  her  priests  in  France, 
in  the  conquest  of  the  papal  states,  in  the  de- 
thronement of  the  Pope  by  Napoleon,  and  his  re- 
cent exile  and  humiliation,  and  in  various  exhibi- 
tions of  ill-will  in  Spain,  Portugal,  Austria  and 
Great  Britain. 

Finally,  the  woman  seated  on  the  wild  beast  is 
explained  to  be  the  city  that  reigneth  over  the 
kings  of  the  earth — i.  e.  the  great  Babylon — the 
great  combination  of  hierarchies,  that  is  sustained 
by  the  power  of  the  civil  arm,  and  yet  reigns  over 
the  consciences  of  kings  and  subjects. 


And  after  these  things  I  saw  another  angel  come  down  from  heaven, 
having  great  power;  and  tlie  eartii  wai»  lightened  with  his  glorjr. 
And  ho  cried  mightily  with  a  strong  voice,  saying,  Bahylon  the  great 
is  fallen,  is  fallen,  and  is  become  the  habitation  of  devils,  and  the  hold 
of  every  foul  spirit,  and  a  cage  of  every  unclean  and  hateful  bird.  For 
all  nations  have  drunk  of  the  wine  of  her  fornication,  and  the  kings  of 
the  earth  have  committed  fornication  with  her,  and  the  merchants  of 
the  earth  arc  waxed  rich  through  the  abundance  of  her  delicacies. 
And  I  heard  another  voice  from  heaven,  saying,  Come  out  of  her,  my 
people,  that  je  be  not  partakers  of  her  sins,  and  that  ye  rcceiro  not  of 
her  plagues.  For  her  nins  have  reached  unto  heaven,  and  God  hath 
remembered  her  iniquilieii.  J'.eward  her  even  as  she  rewarded  you, 
and  double  unto  her  double  according  to  her  works:  in  the  cup  which 
she  hath  filled,  till  to  her  double.  Mow  much  sin  i.(ill)  glorified  her- 
self, and  lived  deliciously,  so  much  torment  and  sorrow  give  her  :  for 

17 


194  LECTURE    TWELFTH. 

she  saith  in  ber  heart,  I  sit  a  queen,  and  am  no  widow,  and  shall  see 
no  sorrow.  Therefore  shall  her  plagues  come  in  one  day,  death,  and 
mourning,  and  famine;  and  she  shall  be  utterly  burned  with  fire  :  for 
■trong  is  the  Lord  God  who  judgeth  her.  And  the  kings  of  the  earth, 
who  have  committed  fornication  and  lived  deliciously  with  her,  shall 
bewail  her,  and  lament  for  her,  when  they  shall  see  the  smoke  of  her 
burning,  standing  afar  ofl'  for  the  fear  of  her  torment,  saying,  Alas, 
alas,  that  great  city^  of  Babylon,  that  mighty  city  I  for  in  one  hour  ia 
thy  judgment  come.  And  the  merchants  of  the  earth  shall  weep  and 
mourn  over  ber;  for  no  man  buyeth  her  merchandise  any  more  :  The 
merchandise  of  gold,  and  silver,  and  precious  stones,  and  of  pearls, 
and  fine  linen,  and  purple,  and  silk,  and  scarlet,  and  all  thyine  wood, 
and  all  manner  vessels  of  ivory,  and  all  manner  vessels  of  most  pre- 
cious wood,  and  of  brass,  and  iron,  and  marble,  and  cinnamon,  and 
odours,  and  ointment,  and  frankincense,  and  wine,  and  oil,  and  fine 
flour,  and  wheat,  and  beasts,  and  sheep,  and  horses,  and  chariots,  and 
slaves,  and  souls  of  men.  And  the  fruits  that  thy  soul  lusted  after  are 
departed  from  thee,  and  all  things  which  were  dainty  and  goodly  are 
departed  from  thee,  and  thou  thalt  find  them  no  more  at  all.  The 
merchants  of  these  things,  which  were  made  rich  by  her,  shall  stand 
afar  ofl"  for  the  fear  of  her  torment,  weeping  and  wailicg,  and  saying, 
Alas,  alas,  that  great  city,  that  was  clothed  in  fine  linen,  and  purple, 
and  scarlet,  and  decked  with  gold,  and  precious  stones,  and  pearls  J 
For  in  one  hour  so  great  riches  is  come  to  nought.  And  every  ship- 
master, and  all  the  company  in  ships,  and  sailors,  and  as  many  aa 
trade  by  sea,  stood  afar  otf,  and  cried  when  they  saw  the  smoke  of  her 
burning,  saying,  What  city  is  like  unto  this  great  city  I  And  thej 
cast  dust  on  their  heads,  and  cried,  weeping  and  wailing,  saying,  Alas, 
alas  that  great  city,  wherein  were  made  rich  all  that  had  ships  in  the  sea 
by  reason  of  her  costliness  !  for  in  one  hour  is  she  made  desolate.  Rejoice 
over  her  thou  heaven,  and  ye  holy  apostles  and  prophets ;  for  God 
hath  avenged  you  on  her.  And  a  mighty  angel  took  up  a  stone  like  a 
great  millstone,  and  cast  it  into  the  sea,  saying.  Thus  with  violence 
shall  that  great  city  Babylon  be  thrown  down,  and  shall  be  found  no 
more  at  all.  And  the  voice  of  harpers,  and  musicians,  and  of  pipers, 
and  trumpeters,  shall  be  heard  no  more  at  all  in  thee  ;  and  no  crafts- 
man, of  whatsoever  craft  he  be,  shall  be  found  any  more  in  thee;  and 
the  sound  of  a  millstone  shall  be  heard  no  more  at  all  in  thee ;  and  the 
light  of  a  candle  shall  shine  no  more  at  all  in  thee  ;  and  the  voice  of 
the  bridegroom  and  of  the  bride  shall  be  heard  no  more  at  all  in  thee: 
for  thy  merchants  were  the  great  men  of  the  earth ;  for  by  thy  sor- 


LECTURE    TWELFTH.  195 

ceries  wer  e  all  nations  deceived.  And  in  her  was  found  the  blood  of 
prophets,  and  of  saints,  and  of  all  that  were  slain  upon  the  earth.— 
Jiev.  xviu :  1-24. 

The  angel  descending  from  heaven  and  pro- 
claiming the  fall  of  Babylon,  is  doubtless  the  re- 
presentative of  a  body  of  men.  The  effulgence 
which  he  flashes  over  the  earth,  denotes  the  resist- 
less light  in  which  they  are  to  unveil  the  apostate 
character  of  Babylon,  and  the  dazzling  splendor  in 
which  they  are  to  set  the  rectitude  and  wisdom  of 
God  in  her  punishment.  The  vehemence  with 
which  he  proclaims  her  fall,  indicates  that  tliey 
are  to  regard  it  as  an  event  of  the  greatest  import- 
ance. Her  fall  is  to  be  her  dejection  from  her  sta- 
tion as  a  national  establishment.  It  is  to  be  pro- 
duced by  violence,  as  a  city  is  overthrown  only  by 
a  violent  cause,  an  earthquake  e.  g.,  and  as  the 
millstone  was  hurled  by  the  angel  with  violence 
into  the  sea.  That  it  is  to  be  the  work  of  the 
multitude  instead  of  the  rulers^  is  shown  by  the 
regrets  of  the  kings  and  nobility  at  her  destruc- 
tion. As  ancient  Babylon,  after  her  overthrow, 
became  the  habitation  of  wild  beasts  ;  her  desolate 
houses  were  filled  with  doleful  creatures  ;  owls  and 
satyrs,  and  dragons  cried  in  her  ph-asant  palaces: 
BO  this  analogous  Babylon  is  to  become,  after  lier 
fall,  the  resort  of  the  most  vile  and  detestable 
beings.  Those  who  afterwards  shall  unite  them- 
selves to  her,  arc  to  be  as  much  more  depraved 
and  savage  than  her  former  adherents,  as  dragons, 


196  LECTURE    TWELFTH. 

owls  and  satyrs  are  more  hideous  and  hateful  than 
the  ordinary  population  of  a  wealthy  and  powerful 
city.  They  are  to  throw  off  their  disguises,  and 
exhibit  their  enmity  to  God,  in  all  its  deformity. 
All  these  things  show  that  her  fall  is  to  be  a  change 
most  momentous  to  her,  to  the  people  of  God, 
and  to  the  world.  Her  overthrow,  like  thai  of  an- 
cient Babylon,  is  to  be  in  consequence  of  her  idola- 
try, because  all  nations  have  drunk  of  her  wine, 
and  the  kings  have  united  with  her  in  the  practice 
and  propagation  of  idol-worship.  This  represen- 
tation accords  with  the  different  agency  which  she 
has  exerted  towards  them.  She  has  seduced  the 
multitude  to  her  false-worship,  by  her  arts.  But 
the  kings  needed  no  such  seduction.  They  have 
been  as  ready  to  usurp  the  rights  of  God,  and  to 
exalt  their  authority  over  his,  as  she. 

After  this  proclamation  of  her  fall,  John  heard 
another  angel  summoning  the  people  of  God  to 
come  out  of  her,  lest  they  partake  of  her  sins  and 
receive  of  her  plagues.  This  angel  is  likewise  to 
be  regarded  as  a  symbol  of  a  body  of  men.  His 
warning  shows,  that  after  her  fall  some  of  the 
people  of  God  are  still  to  linger  within  her  com- 
munion, and  that  after  the  public  announcement  of 
her  fall,  another  class  of  men  are  to  arise,  and 
summon  the  true  worshipers  to  withdraw  from  her, 
lest  by  continuing  under  her  jurisdiction,  they 
sanction  her  sins  and  expose  themselves  to  her 
punishment.     The  city  is  thus  distinguished  from 


LECTURE    TWELFTH.  197 

its  inhabitants,  the  one  referring  to  the  hierarchies 
of  the  church,  the  other  to  the  members.  What 
the  walls  and  dwellings  of  a  material  city  are  to 
the  people  whom  they  protect,  the  hierarchy  of  a 
church  is  to  the  members  under  its  authority.  Her 
punishment  is  to  be  a  wholly  different  event  from 
her  fall — is  quickly  to  follow  that  catastrophe,  and 
is  to  be  inflicted  by  the  hands  of  men.  Give  to 
her  as  she  gave.  Double  to  her  double,  according 
to  her  treatment  of  others.  Into  the  cup  into 
which  she  poured,  pour  to  her  double.  These  re- 
tributions are  to  overtake  her  suddenly.  In  a  day 
her  plagues  shall  come — death,  and  mourning  and 
famine,  and  she  shall  be  burned  with  fire.  The 
kings  of  the  earth  who  had  united  with  her  in  her 
idolatry  are  to  witness  and  lament  her  punishment. 
They  will  not  be  its  authors,  therefore,  nor  will 
they  attempt  to  hinder  it.  They  are  to  stand  at  a 
distance,  and  leave  the  executors  of  the  divine 
wrath,  who  are  to  be  the  multitude,  to  fulfill  their 
office  without  obstruction.  As  the  kings  are  to 
survive  her,  her  fall  is  to  take  place  before  the 
great  battle,  in  which  they  are  to  be  destroyed. 
Iler  merchants,  who  are  the  great  ones  of  tho 
earth,  symbolize  the  nobles  and  dignitaries  that 
held  the  ])atronage  of  her  benefices.  They  also, 
and  others  who  have  grown  rich  by  licr  luxury, 
are,  like  the  kings,  to  witness  her  overthrow,  with- 
out attcmjiting  to  ])revent  it,  and  they  alone  are  to 
lament  it.     Heaven — i.  e.   the   angelic  hosts  and 


198  LECTURE    TWELFTH. 

the  saints,  the  apostles  and  prophets — are  sum- 
moned to  rejoice  over  her,  because  God  hath  con- 
demned her  condemnation  of  them.  And  her  de- 
struction is  to  he  entire.  As  a  millstone  when 
thrown  into  the  depths  of  the  sea,  sinks  forever 
from  the  sight  of  man,  so  she  is  to  he  swept  from 
the  earth,  and  leave  not  a  trace  of  her  greatness  or 
mischievous  dominion.  The  cause  assigned  for  all 
this  is,  that  she  is  a  sorceress,  whose  sole  agency 
has  been  to  seduce  men  from  God  ,  and  a  murder- 
ess, who  has  shed  the  blood  of  the  prophets  and 
saints,  and  of  all  who  had  been  slain  on  the  earth. 
What  a  tremendous  doom  thus  awaits  those  apo.s" 
tate  hierarchies  I  What  a  demonstration  it  is  to 
form,  that  God  rejects  them  !  What  a  refutation  of 
their  impious  pretences,  that  they  are  his  ministers ; 
that  they  alone  are  authorized  to  teach  his  will, 
and  that  he  sanctions  their  usurpations,  blasphe- 
mies and  persecutions  !  And  what  a  noble  vindi- 
cation of  the  witnesses  and  martyrs,  who  resisted 
alike  their  seductions  and  their  vengeance,  and 
who  maintained  allegiance  to  the  King  of  kings. 

And  after  these  things  I  heard  a  great  voice  of  much  people  in  hea- 
ven, saying,  Alleluia  ;  Salvation,  and  glory,  and  honour,  and  power, 
unto  the  Lord  our  God  :  for  true  and  righteous  are  his  judgments;  for 
he  hath  judged  the  great  whore,  which,  did  corrupt  ^the  earth  with 
her  fornication,  and  hath  avenged  the  blood  of  his  servants  at  her 
hand.  And  again  they  said,  Alleluia.  And  her  smoke  rose  up  for 
ever  and  ever.  And  the  four  and  twenty  elders  and  the  four  beasts 
fell  down  and  worshipped  God  that  sat  on  the  throne,  saying,  Amen ; 
Alleluia. — liev.  lix  :  1-4. 


LECTURE    TWELFTH.  199 

The  angelic  hosts  utter  a  shout  of  praise  to 
God  for  the  display  of  his  truth  and  justice 
in  the  destruction  of  the  apostate  powers.  The 
four  and  twenty  elders  and  the  four  living  crea- 
tures, in  responding  to  this  shout,  symbolize  an 
answering  song  from  the  redeemed.  This  song  of 
exultation  denotes  that  they  are  not  only  to  be 
spectators  of  her  overthrow,  but  to  discern  its  up- 
rightness and  wisdom.  They  are  fully  to  know 
her  character  and  agency,  the  dispensations  of  God 
towards  her,  and  the  influences  that  are  to  spring 
from  her  punishment.  What  a  vastness  of  know- 
ledge does  this  imply  !  What  a  sense  of  the  divine 
rights  !  AVhat  an  acquaintance  with  the  reasons 
why  he  allows  men  to  rebel,  and  displays  his  jus- 
tice in  punishing  them  1  What  a  realization  of 
the  guilt  of  rebellion,  and  what  an  assurance  tliat 
that  great  measure  of  his  administration  is  to  sub- 
serve the  well-being  of  his  kingdom  tlirough  eternal 
ages  !  This  sublime  hymn  gives  further  proof  that 
Babylon  is  not  a  material  city,  but  the  representa- 
tive of  apostate  men.  As  a  material  city  is  not  an 
agent,  and  not  the  subject  of  praise  and  blame,  its 
destruction  could  not  form  such  a  display  of  God's 
righteousness,  or  of  the  vindication  of  tliose  whoso 
blood  it  had  shed. 

And  a  voice  came  out  of  the  throne,  sajinfi^,  Praise  our  Qod,  all  je 
his  Kcrvantfl,  and  je  tliatfcar  Iiim,  boUi  mnali  and  ^rvnt.  And  I  heard 
DB  it  were  the  voice  of  a  great  inultitud';,  and  as  the  voire  of  many  wa- 
ters, and  as  the  voice  ofmiglitj  tliunderings,  saying,  Alleluia;  fur  tho 
Lord  God  omnipotent  reigncth.     Let  as  bo  glad  and  rejoice,  and  givo 


200  LECTURE    TWELFTH. 

honour  to  him  :  for  the  marriage  of  the  Lamb  is  come,  and  his  wife 
hath  made  herself  ready.  And  to  her  was  granted  that  she  should  bo 
arrajed  in  fine  linen,  clean  and  white  :  for  the  fine  linen  is  the  righte- 
ousness of  saints.  And  he  saith  unto  me,  Write,  Blessed  are  they 
which  are  called  unto  the  marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb.  And  he  saith 
unto  me,  These  are  the  true  sayings  of  God.  And  I  fell  at  his  feet  to 
worship  him.  And  he  said  unto  me.  See  thou  do  it  not :  I  am  thy  fel- 
low servant,  and  of  thy  brethren  that  have  the  testimony  of  Jesus: 
worship  God  ;  for  the  testimony  of  Jesus  is  the  spirit  of  prophecy. — 
Jlev.  xix :  5—10. 

A  voice  from  the  throne  summons  all  the  ser- 
vants of  God  of  every  rank  to  praise  him.  This 
indicates  tliat  a  great  epoch  is  then  to  be  reached 
in  his  government — a  manifestation  made  of  the 
result  of  his  mysterious  dispensations  that  shall 
vindicate  their  rectitude  and  wisdom.  The  halle- 
luiah of  the  multitude  that  the  Lord  God  Almighty 
has  reigned,  (i^aaatvat^  indicates  that  they  are  to  see 
that  the  peculiar  administration  which  he  has  ex- 
ercised is  most  skilfully  adapted  to  the  great  ends 
of  his  empire — is  worthy  of  his  infinite  attributes, 
and  that  it  has  prepared  the  way  for  the  reign  of 
grace  that  is  to  follow  through  everlasting  ages. 
The  summons  to  rejoice  and  give  him  glory  because 
the  marriage  of  the  Lamb  has  come  and  his  bride 
has  made  herself  ready,  denotes  that  the  period  of 
the  resurrection  and  adoption  of  the  holy  dead  has 
arrived — that  his  previous  administration  has  serv- 
ed to  fit  them  for  the  new  relations  to  which  they 
are  to  be  exalted,  and  that  it  is  to  be  to  them  an 
epoch  of  peculiar  joy  and  triumph.  Her  being  ar- 
rayed in  fine  linen,  bright  and  pure,  signifies  their 


LECTURE     TWELFTH.  201 

public  justification — her  marriage,  their  exaltation 
to  stations  as  heirs  and  joint  heirs  forever  in  his 
kingdom.  As  a  bride  by  her  marriage  is  united 
to  her  husband  through  life,  so  the  redeemed  are 
by  their  marriage  with  the  Lamb,  to  be  raised  to 
that  relation  to  him  which  they  are  forever  to  sus- 
tain. They  are  never  to  descend  to  a  lower  sta- 
tion— never  to  ascend  to  a  higher,  but  are  to  reign 
with  him  as  kings  and  priests  forever  and  ever. 
Their  marriage  is  therefore  to  involve  their  resur- 
rection from  death,  and  exaltation  to  the  thrones  on 
which  they  are  to  serve  him  through  their  endless 
existence.  They  who  are  to  be  called  to  the  sup- 
per of  the  marriage  of  the  Lamb,  are  different  per- 
sons from  the  raised  and  glorified  saints  who  arc 
denoted  by  the  bride,  and  are  doubtless  the  unglo- 
rified  saints  on  earth.  What  a  splendid  nuptial 
ceremony  that  will  be  when  all  the  risen  saints, 
arrayed  in  fine  linen,  white  and  clean,  shall  be 
publicly  recognized  by  the  Lamb  as  his  bride,  and 
all  the  saints,  then  living  on  earth,  shall  be  called 
to  witness  the  glorious  consummation  1  Nor  nro 
these  mere  fancy  sketches.  "  These,"  said  tho 
angel  to  tlie  astonished  prophet — "  These  are  tho 
true  sayings  of  God."  The  response  of  the  angel 
to  the  a])Ostle  who  fell  down  to  worship  him,  is 
eminently  beautiful.  It  indicates  a  befitting  sense 
of  the  sanctity  of  God's  rights,  and  exalts  the  ser- 
vices of  the  witnesses  of  Jesus  to  an  equality  with 
his  own.     I  am  a  servant  of  the  same  order  as  you 


202  LECTURE    TWELFTH. 

and  your  brethren,  who  hohl  the  testimony  of 
Jesus.  You  and  they,  in  proclaiming  that  testi- 
mony before  men,  are  to  fulfil  essentially  the  same 
office  as  I,  guided  by  the  revealing  Spirit,  have  ful- 
filled in  interpreting  the  prophecy  to  you.  Wor- 
ship God — for  the  spirit  of  prophecy  by  which  I 
speak  is  like  your  confession — only  the  testimony 
of  Jesus. 

Keflection. 

How  lowly  in  mind  are  the  angels  of  God — how 
exalted  in  office  are  the  disciples  of  Jesus  who  bear 
•witness  to  the  truth  ! 


LECTURE   THIRTEENTH. 


EEVELATIONS,  CHAPTER  XIX:  11-XXI:  8. 

And  I  saw  heaven  opened,  and  behold  a  white  horse;  and  he  that 
sat  upon  him  uaa  called  Faithful  and  True,  and  in  righteousness  ho 
doth  judge  and  make  war.  Ilis  eyes  irere  as  a  flame  of  fire,  and  on  his 
bead  were  many  crowns ;  and  he  had  a  name  written,  that  no  man 
knew,  but  he  himself.  And  he  trai  clothed  with  a  vesture  dipped  in 
blood  ;  and  his  name  is  called  The  Word  of  God.  And  the  armies 
uhich  uere  in  heaven  followed  him  upon  white  horses,  clothed  in  lino 
linen,  white  and  clean.  And  out  of  his  mouth  goeth  a  sharp  sword, 
that  with  it  be  should  smite  the  nations;  and  he  shall  rule  them  with 
a  rod  of  iron ;  and  he  treadeth  the  winepress  of  the  fierceness  and 
wrath  of  Almighty  God.  And  he  hath  on  his  vef^ture  and  on  his  thigh 
a  name  written,  KING  OF  KINGS,  AND  LORD  OF  LOKDS.— 
liev.  xLr  :  H--1C. 

lie  who  sat  on  the  wliite  horse  is  shown  hy  his 
cliaracters  and  titles  to  be  the  Son  of  God.  He  is 
*'  iaithful  and  true  "  as  j)eriorminj^  all  his  engage- 
ments to  God  and  fulfilling  all  liis  promises  to 
man.  In  righteousness  he  doth  judge  and  make 
"War.  The  cause  in  which  he  is  engaged  is  just, 
and  all  his  nieasures  are  in  harmony  with  it.  His 
eyes  were  as  a  flame  of  lire,  burning  with  ludy  in- 
dignation against  his  enemies.  "  And  on  his  head 
were  many  crowns  " — denoting  his  great  authority 


204  LECTURE    THIRTEENTH. 

and  many  conquests.  That  he  had  a  name  that 
no  one  knew  hut  he  himself,  indicates  that  the 
aims  of  his  incarnation,  exaltation  and  reign  over 
the  universe  through  eternal  years,  wholly  tran- 
scend the  grasp  of  created  intelligences,  and  are 
comprehensible  only  by  Omniscience.  That  he  is 
known  by  his  diadems,  however,  to  be  the  incar- 
nate Word,  is  shown  by  the  name  by  which  he  is 
designated — The  Word  of  God,  the  revealer  of  the 
Deity  to  creatures,  the  Creator  of  all  things,  the 
Eedeemer  of  men.  The  vesture  dipt  in  blood  with 
which  he  is  clothed,  probably  refers  to  the  destruc- 
tion of  his  foes,  by  which  he  had  been  and  would 
be  distinguished — so  do  tlie  sharp  sword,  the  iron 
sceptre  and  the  winepress.  And  on  his  robe  and 
on  his  thigh  are  written  the  titles  of  the  office 
which  he  descends  to  assume  on  earth — King  of 
kings  and  Lord  of  lords.  He  appears  in  his  own 
person,  because  no  created  agent  is  adequate  to 
rei)resent  him,  either  in  nature  or  office.  The  office 
of  the  horse  is  merely  to  symbolize  his  descent  to 
the  earth  as  a  king,  and  like  the  splendor  of  his 
countenance,  the  effulgence  of  his  crowns,  his  gar- 
ments and  his  armies,  it  shows  that  his  advent  is 
to  be  visible  and  with  the  power  and  pomp  of  a 
victorious  monarch.  The  armies  in  heaven  that 
follow  him  are  of  the  same  corporeal  nature  as  he. 
This  is  manifest  from  their  being  seated  on  horses. 
Tli'cjy  are  shown  to  be  raised  and  glorified  saints, 
also,  by  their  robes  of  fine  white  linen  in  which  the 


LECTURE     THIRTEENTH.  205 

bride,  by  whom  they  were  symbolized  in  a  former 
vision,  was  arrayed.  They  also  appear  in  their 
own  persons,  because  no  other  beings,  real  or  ficti- 
tious, are  suited  to  represent  them.  And  their 
descent  is  likewise  to  be  visible.  The  opening  ot 
the  heavens  to  reveal  them,  denotes  that  their  de- 
scent is  to  be  from  paradise,  the  world  where  the 
Redeemer  now  reigns  and  the  ransomed  dwell. 
All  these  things  show  beyond  question  that  the 
Son  of  God  is  to  make  a  personal  and  visible  ad- 
vent to  our  world,  and  assume  his  glorious  reign 
with  his  saints  on  earth.  It  is  expressly  said  in 
the  introduction  of  the  Apocalypse,  ''Behold  he 
Cometh  with  clouds,  and  every  eye  shall  see  him, 
and  they  also  which  pierced  him,  and  all  kindreds 
of  the  earth  shall  wail  because  of  him.  Even  so, 
Amen." 

And  I  saw  an  angel  standin;^  in  the  sun  ;  and  lie  cried  with  a  loud 
voice,  saying  to  all  the  fowls  that  fly  in  the  midst  of  heaven,  Come  and 
gather  yourselves  together  unto  the  supper  of  the  great  God;  that  jo 
may  cat  the  flehh  of  kings,  and  the  flesh  of  captains,  and  the  flesh  of 
mighty  men,  and  the  flesh  of  liorses,  and  of  them  tliat  fit  on  them,  and 
the  flesh  of  all  men,  both  free  and  bond,  both  small  and  great.  And  I 
saw  the  beast,  and  the  kings  of  the  earth,  and  their  armies,  gathered 
together  to  make  war  against  him  that  sat  on  the  horse,  and  against 
his  army.  And  the  beast  was  taken,  and  with  him  the  false  prophet 
that  wrought  miracles  before  him,  with  which  he  deceived  them  that 
had  received  the  mark  of  the  beast,  and  tliora  that  worshipped  his 
image.  These  both  were  cuxt  alive  into  a  lake  of  fire  burning  with 
brimstone.  And  the  remnant  were  slain  with  the  sword  of  him  that 
eat  upon  the  horse,  which  mcord  proceeded  out  of  liis  mouth  :  and  (dl 
the  fowl*  were  filled  with  their  flesh.— /f««.  xix  :  17--21. 

The  sun  in  this  vision  is  doubtless,  as  under  tho 
fourth  trumpet  and  fourth  vial,  a  symbol  of  tho' 
18 


206  LECTURE    THIRTEENTH. 

rulers  exercising  chief  authority  in  the  ten  king- 
doms. The  angels  stationed  in  it  and  summoning 
the  birds  to  come  and  eat  the  flesh  of  the  anti- 
Christian  host,  is  a  symbol  of  some  conspicuous 
person  or  class,  that  is  to  be  in  close  communica- 
tion with  those  rulers — but  not  of  their  number, — 
and  that  is  to  warn  them  of  their  impending  de- 
struction. As  the  armies  with  their  commanders 
and  horses  are  to  be  literal  armies^  and  the  slaugh- 
ter to  be  a  literal  slaughter,  so  the  birds  that  fly  in 
mid-heaven  are  to  be  literal  birds,  and  carnivorous, 
as  that  species  soar  at  great  heights,  and  discern 
their  prey  at  a  distance.  To  suppose  the  birds, 
the  slaughter  and  the  carcasses  are  not  to  be  literal, 
is  to  suppose  that  the  death  symbolized  is  not 
to  be  the  death  of  the  body,  but  of  the  soul, 
which  is  to  contradict  the  whole  representation.  As 
the  wild  beast  is  the  representative  of  all  the  civil 
rulers  of  the  ten  kingdoms,  except  those  of  the 
papal  states  denoted  by  the  false  prophet — the 
kings  and  their  armies  who  are  assembled  with  the 
wild  beast,  are  to  be  regarded  as  the  kings  and  ar- 
mies of  other  anti-Christian  kingdoms.  All  the 
usurping  and  persecuting  enemies  of  Christ  are  to 
share  in  that  catastrophe.  The  wild  beast,  i.  e., 
the  rulers  of  the  ten  kingdoms,  and  the  false  pro- 
phet, i.  e.,  the  hierarchies  of  these  kingdoms,  were 
cast  alive  into  the  lake  of  fire  which  burns  with 
brimstone.  This  implies  that  the  bodies  of  those 
whom  they  symbolize  are  to  be  made  immortal, 


LECTURE     THIRTEENTH.  207 

like  those  who  are  to  be  consigned  to  that  abyss 
after  a  resurrection  to  shame  and  everlasting  con- 
tempt. The  rest  of  the  armies  are  to  be  slain  by 
the  sword  which  proceeds  from  the  mouth  of  the 
Word  of  God — the  symbol  that  a  sentence  of 
avenging  justice  is  to  be  pronounced  on  them — and 
the  birds  are  to  be  filled  with  their  flesh.  This 
great  battle,  in  which  all  the  civil,  ecclesiastical 
and  military  enemies  of  Christ,  arrayed  in  open 
war  against  him,  are  to  be  destroyed,  is  doubtless 
the  same  as  that  of  Armageddon,  to  which  the 
kings  are  to  be  gathered  by  the  unclean  spirits.  It 
is  a  wholly.different  gathering  Irom  that  denoted 
by  the  vintage  and  the  parable  of  the  goats.  This 
last  is  to  take  place  subsequently,  and  is  to  em- 
brace those  who  sustain  the  relation  of  supporters 
and  approvers  to  the  wild  beast  and  lalse  })rophct, 
and  who  refuse  all  succor  to  the  persecuted  breth- 
ren of  Christ. 

As  the  glorified  saints  are  to  attend  the  Saviour 
at  this  advent,  their  resurrection,  acceptance  and 
exaltation  as  kings  and  priests^  are  to  precede  that 
great  battle.  And  it  is  on  that  occasion,  doubt- 
less, that  Clirist's  promise  (cliap.  ii  :  20,)  is  to  be 
fulfilled,  that  he  will  give  them  power  over  the 
nations,  and  they  shall  rule  them  with  an  iron 
sceptre,  as  earthen  vessels  are  broken. 

And  I  saw  an  anjjel  come  flown  Trom  hnavon,  hnvinji;  llic  key  or  (ho 
bnttornlcM  pit  and  a  great  cliain  in  Inn  hand.  And  hi-  laid  hold  on  tho 
dragon,  that  old  surpcDt,  which  i:t  the  duvil,  aud  Satan,  and  bound  biia 


208  LECTURE    THIRTEENTH. 

a  thousand  years,  and  caat  him  into  the  bottomless  pit,  and  shut  him 
up,  and  set  a  seal  upon  him,  that  he  should  deceive  the  nations  no 
more,  till  the  thousand  years  should  be  fulfilled:  and  after  that  he 
must  be  loosed  a  little  season, — liev.  xx  :  1-3. 

The  angel  with  the  key  and  chain  in  his  hand, 
is  obviously  a  literal  angel,  or  a  symbol  of  unfallen 
angels,  not  of  men.  The  agency  ascribed  to  him 
is  such  as  none  but  angelic  beings  are  competent  to 
exert.  He  is  distinguished  here  from  those  who 
are  seduced  by  the  devil,  and  he  cannot,  therefore, 
be  a  symbol  of  those  nations,  nor  of  a  part  of  them. 
He  is  a  representative  of  angels,  then,  not  of  men, 
and  they  are  symbolized  by  one  of  their  own  spe- 
cies, because  no  being  of  another  order  is  adequate 
to  represent  them.  The  dragon  whom  he  seized  is 
expressly  declared  to  be  the  ancient  serpent,  who 
is  the  devil  and  Satan — the  seducer  of  the  nations. 
He  is  bound  with  the  chain — cast  literally  into  the 
abyss — and  shut  up  and  sealed  for  a  period  indi- 
cated by  a  thousand  years.  The  purpose  of  his 
imprisonment  is  that  he  might  not  seduce  the  na- 
tions any  more  during  this  period.  But  what  is 
meant  by  the  period  of  a  thousand  years  ?  Is  it 
literal  or  symbolic  ?  Most  expositors  have  regard- 
ed it  as  literal.  I  am  rather  inclined  to  consider 
the  thousand  years  symbolic.  Each  day  represents 
a  year,  and  the  thousand  years,  containing  three 
hundred  and  sixty  thousand  days,  would  thus  de- 
note three  hundred  and  sixty  thousand  years  of  our 
time  !     Whether  we  regard  this  period  as  literal, 


LECTURE    THIRTEENTH.  209 

or  as  symbolic,  it  does  not  affect  the  general  inter- 
pretation of  the  prophecy.  The  events  are  the 
same,  whatever  space  they  occupy.  After  the  ex- 
piration of  this  i)eriod,  Satan  must  be  again  re- 
leased from  his  confinement,  and  will  go  forth  to 
resume  his  favorite  work,  as  we  shall  presently  see. 
Tliis  great  vision,  then,  foreshows  that  the  devil 
and  his  legions  are  to  be  seized  by  the  holy  angel 
and  imprisoned  in  the  abyss  for  three  hundred  and 
sixty  thousand  years,  and  that  afterwards  they  are 
to  be  released  for  a  short  season.  That  imprison- 
ment is  to  take  place  after  the  advent  of  the  Re- 
deemer— after  the  resurrection  of  the  holy  dead, 
and  after  the  destruction  of  the  wild  beast  and 
false  prophet. 

And  I  saw  thrones,  and  they  sat  upon  them,  and  judgment  was 
given  unto  them:  and  I gaw  the  souls  of  them  that  were  beheaded  for 
the  witness  of  Jesus,  and  for  the  word  of  Ood,  and  which  bad  not 
worshipped  the  beast,  neither  his  ima;^e,  neither  Jiad  received  hit  mark 
upon  their  foreheadH,  or  in  their  hands ;  and  they  lived  and  reigned 
with  Christ  a  thouBand  years.  But  the  rest  of  the  dead  lived  not 
ap;ain  until  the  thousand  yi-ars  were  finished.  This  is  the  first  resur- 
rection. iJles.sed  and  holy  ti  he  that  hath  part  in  the  first  resurrec- 
tion :  on  such  the  second  death  hath  no  power,  but  they  shall  bo 
priests  of  Uod  and  of  Christ,  and  shall  reign  with  him  a  thousand 
years. —  Jiev.xx:    i-C. 

The  order  in  whicli  the  objects  of  this  great 
Bpectacle  arc  cnumeraled  is  doubtless  tliat  in  which  ^ 
they  were  presented  to  tlie  apostle.  lie  first  saw 
thrones,  perhaps  a  great  multitude,  as  the  martyrs 
and  saints  of  all  ages  are  innumerable.  Next, 
august  forms  approached  and  sat  ou  them,  and  a 


210  LECTURE    THIRTEENTH. 

sentence  was  pronounced  on  tliem,  probaWy  ad- 
judging them  to  the  station  of  kings  and  priests  in 
Christ's  kingdom  on  earth.  Then  he  distinguished 
among  them,  first  the  martyrs,  who  had  been  slain 
for  the  testimony  of  Jesus,  and  for  the  word  of 
God ;  next,  those  who  had  not  worshiped  the 
wild  beast,  nor  its  image,  nor  received  its  mark  on 
their  forehead  or  their  hand.  Finally,  he  learned 
that  the  spectacle  was  a  symbol  of  the  first  resur- 
rection, that  they  who  were  then  to  be  raised  were 
to  reign  with  Christ  the  thousand  years,  that  they 
were  to  be  forever  freed  from  liability  to  the  second 
death,  and  that  the  rest  of  the  dead  were  not  to 
live  till  the  thousand  years  should  be  finished. 

As  thrones  are  the  stations  on  which  kings  exer- 
cise their  office,  their  elevation  to  thrones  indicates 
their  appointment  to  the  office  of  kings.  Their 
authority  being  the  sovereign  gift  of  Christ,  is  to 
be  exercised  wholly  in  subordination  to  him. 
They  are  to  reign  with  him  and  under  him,  as 
King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords,  communicating 
his  will  to  his  subjects,  vindicating  his  rights,  and 
unfolding  his  great  designs.  They  will  reign  over 
the  nations  then  living  on  earth.  They  are  also  to 
be  priests  of  God  and  of  Christ,  acting  in  that  re- 
lation as  representatives  of  their  subjects,  and  pre- 
senting in  his  presence  symbols  of  homage  in  their 
behalf. 

The  souls  of  the  martys  and  others  were  their 
souls  by  symbolization,  not  their  souls  literally, 


LECTURE      THIRTEENTH.  211 

inasmuch  as  many  of  tliem  were  not  then  in  exist- 
ence. They  are  exhibited  in  their  own  persons, 
not  by  a  symbol  of  a  different  species,  because  no- 
thing else  could  adequately  represent  them.  They 
are  exhibited  as  souls,  not  as  embodied  saints,  be- 
cause they  only  are  to  be  raised  at  the  first  resur- 
rection. The  living  saints  are  to  be  raised  by 
transfiguration  to  a  similar  glory,  but  probably  at 
a  later  period.  At  any  rate  no  mention  is  made  of 
them  in  this  vision. 

The  specific  mention  of  martyrs,  and  of  those 
•who  had  not  worshiped  the  wild  beast,  nor  his 
image,  does  not  imply  that  the  whole  were  of  those 
classes.  They  were  doubtless  but  a  part  of  the 
vast  crowd.  They  who  sat  on  the  thrones  and  re- 
ceived judicial  authority,  symbolized  the  whole 
body  of  the  saints  who  had  died  in  all  former  ages. 
The  martyrs  are  specified  probably  because  of  their 
peculiar  consj)icuity  and  honors.  This  vision, 
then,  foreshows  that  at  the  advent  of  Christ,  all 
the  holy  dead  are  to  be  raised,  ])ublicly  adjudged 
to  thrones  in  his  kingdom,  and  to  reign  with 
him  as  kings  and  priests  on  earth  during  the 
vast  succession  of  ages,  symbolized  by  the  tliou- 
sand  years.  ''Blessed  and  holy  t.v  he  tliat  hath 
part  in  the  first  resurrection  :  on  such  tlic  second 
death  hath  no  power,  but  they  shall  bo  priests 
of  God  and  of  Christ,  and  shall  reign  witli  him 
a  thousand  years."  Other  parts  of  the  Iliblo 
concur  with  this  exposition  :     "As    in  A  (bun  all 


212  LECTURE    THIRTEENTH. 

die,  even  so  in  Christ  shall  all  be  made  alive.  But 
every  man  in  his  own  order  :  Christ  the  first 
fruits  ;  afterwards  they  that  are  Christ's  at  his 
coming.  Then  cometh  the  end,"  &c. — I  Cor.  xv  :• 
23.  ''For  the  Lord  himself  shall  descend  from 
heaven  with  a  shout,  with  the  voice  of  the  arch- 
angel, and  with  the  trump  of  God  ;  and  the  dead 
in  Christ  shall  rise  first."— I  TAes.  iv  :  16.  All 
this  while  the  bodies  of  the  wicked  dead  are  to  lie 
dishonored  in  their  graves.  Satan  and  his  hosts 
are  to  be  locked  up  in  the  abyss.  The  nations  of 
the  earth  are  to  submit  to  the  authority  of  the  Son 
of  God,  and  peace,  and  righteousness,  and  love 
and  joy  are  to  cover  the  earth,  as  the  waters  cover 
the  seas. — Isaiah  xi  :  6-9. 

And  when  the  thousand  years  are  expired,  Satan  shall  be  loosed  out 
of  his  prison,  and  shall  go  out  to  deceive  the  nations  which  are  in  the 
four  quarters  of  the  earth,  Gog  and  Magog,  to  gather  them  together 
to  battle  :  the  number  of  whom  is  as  the  sand  of  the  sea.  And  they 
went  up  on  the  breadth  of  the  earth,  and  compassed  the  camp  of  the 
saints  about,  and  the  beloved  city  :  and  fire  came  down  from  God  out 
of  heaven,  and  devoured  them.  And  the  devil  that  deceived  them 
was  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire  and  brimstone,  where  the  beast  and  the 
false  prophet  are,  and  shall  be  tormented  day  and  night  for  ever  and 
ever. — Rev.  xx  :  7-10. 


Satan  is  here  doubtless,  as  in  the  vision  of  his 
binding,  a  symbol  of  the  whole  body  of  fallen 
angels  ;  and  his  release  from  prison  is  symbolic  of 
their  return  to  the  seduction  of  men  on  earth. 
Gog  and  Magog  are  thought  by  interpreters  gen- 
erally to  be  the  nations  of  northern  Asia.     Ezekiel 


LECTURE    THIRTEENTH.  213 

speaks  of  them  (xxxix  :  2)  as  coming  from  the 
North;  hut  John's  allusion  to  the  nations  which 
are  in  the  four  corners  of  the  earth,  and  to  their 
number  as  the  sand  of  the  sea,  would  seem  to  im- 
ply a  more  general  gathering  than  from  the  North. 
As  Gog  and  Magog  were  the  last  enemies  of  Israel, 
60  the  last  foes  of  Christ  are  called  Gog  and  Ma- 
gog. The  camp  of  the  saints  probably  denotes  the 
unglorified  rulers  of  the  obedient  nations — i.  e. 
those  whom  Satan  has  not  seduced.  The  beloved 
city  is  the  New  Jerusalem,  which  is  the  symbol  of 
the  glorified  saints  in  their  relations  of  kings  and 
priests  to  unglorified  men.  (This  will  be  seen  in 
the  next  chapter).  Satan's  enticing  Gog  and  Ma- 
gog to  assemble  for  battle,  and  their  surrounding 
both  the  camp  of  the  saints  and  the  beloved  city, 
may  denote  their  attempt  to  subvert  the  rule  both 
of  the  glorified  and  unglorified  saints,  and  to  ele- 
vate themselves  into  their  places.  Tiiat  it  is  by 
his  influence  that  they  are  to  be  excited  to  war, 
indicates  that  they  had  before  been  universally 
obedient.  Tlie  descent  of  fire  from  heaven  on  the 
revolter.s,  denotes  that  they  are  to  be  destroyed, 
like  the  wild  beast  and  false  proi)het,  not  by  or- 
dinary instruments,  but  by  the  immediate  ngrncy 
of  the  Almighty.  And  the  casting  of  Satan  into 
the  lake  of  fire  and  brimstone  to  be  t<jrmented  for- 
ever with  the  wild  beast  and  false  propliet,  fbrc- 
shows  tliut  he  and  his  legions  are  thereafter  lo  bo 
precluded  from   the  earth  and  all  other  obedient 


214  LECTURE     THIRTEENTH. 

orbs,  and  consigned  to  the  chains  and  darkness  of 
the  abyss. 

This  prophecy  then   announces   that   after   the 
risen  saints  have  reigned  with  Christ  three  hun- 
dred and  sixty  thousand  years,  Satan  and  his  le- 
gions are  to  be  allowed  again  to  return  to  the  earth 
and  to  tempt  men — that  seduced  by  them,  remote 
nations  are  to  revolt  from  the  sway  of  the  saints, 
which  Christ  has  established  over  them,  and  to 
attempt  to  exalt  themselves  to  supreme  authority  ; 
that  they  are   to  be  destroyed,  not    by  war  and 
human  resistance,  but  by  a  direct  interposition  of 
the  eternal  Word,  and  that  the  tempting  angels 
thereafter  are  to  be    consigned  to  perpetual  im- 
prisonment in  hell. 

And  I  saw  a  great  white  throne,  and  him  that  sat  on  it,  from  whose 
face  the  earth  and  the  heaven  fled  away ;  and  there  was  found  no 
place  for  them.  And  I  saw  the  dead,  small  and  great,  stand  before 
God  ;  and  the  books  were  opened,  and  another  book  was  opened,  which 
is  tlie  hook  of  life  :  and  the  dead  were  judged  out  of  those  things  which 
were  written  in  the  books,  according  to  their  works.  And  the  sea  gave 
up  the  dead  which  were  in  it ;  and  death  and  hell  delivered  up  the 
dead  which  were  in  them :  and  they  were  judged  every  man  according 
to  their  works.  And  death  and  hell  were  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire_ 
This  is  the  second  death.  And  whosoever  was  not  found  written  in 
the  book  of  life  was  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire. — Rev.  xx  :    11-15. 

These  solemn  verses  contain  a  prophecy  of  the 
resurrection  of  the  unholy  dead,  and  of  their  pub- 
lic and  final  judgment.  The  language  is  so  sim- 
ple as  not  to  need,  and  so  grand,  as  far  to  trans- 
cend any  commentary.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  a 
great  white  throne  is  set — great,  to  denote  the  dig- 


LECTURE    THIRTEENTH.  215 

nity  of  the  judge,  and  white,   to  show  the  purity 
and   justice  of  his  decisions.     The  flight  of  the 
earth  and  heavens  from  the  presence  of  the  judge, 
indicates  that  the  scene  of  the  judgment  was  at  a 
distance  from  their  orhit.     As  the  subjects  of  this 
vision  were,  on  their  resurrection,  withdrawn  from 
the  earth,  no  reason  existed,  as  in  former  visions, 
for   its  continued   presence  ;    and  its  flight  accor- 
dingly, and  that  of  the  pLanets,  was  that  of  their 
real  motion    in  their  orbits.     That  no  place  was 
found  for  them,   denotes   simply,   therefore,   that 
they  continued  in  motion.     Tlie  dead,  small  and 
great,  stand  before  the  throne,  having  been  raised 
from  death.     This  is  manifest  from  the  sea's  giv- 
ing up  the  dead  that  were  in  it,  and  death  and 
the  grave  giving  up  the  dead  that  were  in  tliem. 
It  is  the  bodies  of  the  dead,  not  their  souls,  that 
descend  into  the  sea  and  the  grave,  or  remuiii  un- 
buried    in  the  realms  of   death.     Tlie    books  are 
symbols  of  God's  perfect  knowledge  of  all  the  ac- 
tions  of    those   who   are     judged.      Their   being 
opened,  denotes  that  he  will  manifest  to  them  that 
knowledge,   and    will    demonstrate   to   their   con- 
sciousness that  his  judgment  of  them  is  according 
to  their  works.     Men,  because  of  the  imperfection 
of  their  memory,  make  use  of  books  to  record  hu- 
man actions.     But  (iod's  infinite  knowledge  needs 
no  such  aid.     While,  therefiirc,  it  is  said  symboli- 
cally, that  these  books  contain  the  deeds  of  men, 
by  which  they  arc  to  be  judged,  yet  it  is  strictly 


216  LECTURE    THIRTEENTH. 

true,  that  the  all-comprehending,  all-retaining 
mind  of  Deity  will  be  the  book  from  which  he  will 
accurately  and  infallibly  judge  the  world.  It  is 
also  said  that  death  and  the  grave  (translated  hell 
in  our  version)  were  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire.  The 
grave  is  the  depository  of  the  buried  dead,  and  death 
of  the  unburied  dead,  and  both  are  places,  or  states, 
not  agents.  This  construction  of  death  as  a  place 
is  confirmed  by  the  symbolization  of  the  second 
death  by  a  place,  not  by  an  agent.  This  is  the 
second  death — the  lake  of  fire.  The  dejection  of 
death  and  the  grave  into  that  lake,  denotes  that  no 
place  of  the  dead  is  any  more  to  exist  on  earth. 
All  the  wicked  dead  of  all  ages  are  to  be  the  sub- 
jects of  this  resurrection  and  judgment.  Whoever 
was  not  found  written  in  the  book  of  life  was  cast 
into  the  lake  of  fire.  And  they  only  are  to  be  its 
subjects,  because,  according  to  a  former  vision 
(xx  :  4-6),  all  the  holy  who  die  before  the  millen- 
nium are  to  be  raised  at  its  commencement,  and  to 
reign  with  Christ  throughout  that  period,  which  is 
the  first  resurrection,  and  we  shall  see  in  the  next 
vision  that  none  are  to  die  during  that  period.  It  is 
therefore,  evident  that  this  vision  embraces  all  the 
impenitent  dead,  and  them  only.  Their  resurrec- 
tion from  the  dead  and  their  formal  consignment 
to  eternal  perdition  with  the  wild  beast  and  false 
prophets,  will  not  occur  until  the  expiration  of  the 
millennial  period.  That  they  will  not  suffer  pun- 
ishment until  then,  does  not  follow  any  more  than 


LECTURE    TniRTEEXTH.  217 

tliat  Satan  and  his  legions  will  not  suffer  until 
they  are  confined  in  the  abyss. 

And  I  saw  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth  :  for  the  first  heaven  and 
the  first  earth  were  passed  away  ;  and  there  was  no  more  sea.  And  I 
John  saw  the  holj  city,  new  Jerusalem,  coming  down  from  God  out  of 
heaven,  prepared  as  a  bride  adorned  for  her  husband.  And  I  hoard  a 
great  voice  out  of  heaven,  saying,  Behold,  the  tabernacle  of  God  it 
wiih  men,  and  he  will  dwell  with  them,  and  they  shall  be  his  people, 
and  God  himself  shall  be  with  them,  and  It  their  God.  And  God  shall 
wipe  away  all  tears  from  their  eyes  ;  and  there  shall  be  no  more  death, 
neither  sorrow,  nor  crying,  neither  shall  there  be  any  more  pain  :  for 
the  former  things  are  passed  away.  And  he  that  sat  upon  the  throne 
said.  Behold,  1  make  all  things  new.  And  he  said  unto  me,  Write  : 
for  these  words  are  true  and  faithful.  And  he  said  unto  me.  It  is 
done.  1  am  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  beginning  and  the  end.  1  will  give 
un^>  him  that  is  athirst  of  the  fountain  of  the  water  of  life  freely.  He 
that  orercometh  shall  inherit  all  things;  and  I  will  be  his  God,  and 
ho  ^hall  be  my  son.  But  the  fearful,  and  unbelieving,  and  the  abomi- 
nable, and  murderers,  and  whoremougers,  and  sorcerers,  and  idolaters, 
and  all  liars,  shall  have  their  part  in  the  lake  which  burnelh  with  fire 
and  brimstone  :  vvhich  is  the  second  death. — Hcv.  xxi :   1-8. 

The  heaven,  earth  and  sea  are  undoubtedly  here, 
as  under  tlie  trumpets  and  vials,  symbolic.  The 
new  heaven  represents  rulers  of  a  new  order  ;  the 
new  earth  subjects  of  a  new  cliaracter,  and  the 
disappearance  of  the  sea,  along  with  the  former 
heaven  and  earth,  that  the  natictns  are  no  more  to 
be  agitated  by  storms  of  revolution  and  war.  If 
this  passage  be  literal,  it  coincides  exactly  witli 
the  statement  of  Peter  :  "  But  the  day  of  the  J.ord 
will  come  as  a  thief  in  the  night  ;  in  the  which  the 
heavens  shall  i>ass  away  with  a  great  noise,  and 
the  elements  shall  melt  with  fervent  heat,  tho 
earth  also  and  the  works  that  are  therein  shall  bo 
19 


218  LECTURE    THIRTEENTH. 

burned  up.*  Seeing  then  that  all  these  things  shall 
be  dissolved,  what  manner  of  persona  ought  ye  to 
be  in  all  holy  conversation  and  godliness,  looking 
for  and  hasting  unto  the  coming  of  the  day  of  God, 
wherein  the  heavens  being  on  fire  shall  be  dis- 
solved, and  the  elements  shall  melt  with  fervent 
heat  ?  Nevertheless  we,  according  to  his  promise, 
look  for  new  heavens  and  a  new  earth,  wherein 
dwelleth  righteousness." — II  Peter  iii :  10-13. 

The  New  Jerusalem  is  the  symbol  of  the  raised 
and  glorified  saints,  in  their  relation  to  men  as 
kings  and  priests,  who  are  to  reign  with  Christ. 
It  does  not  denote  a  literal  city,  but  an  organiza- 
tion of  rulers  extending  a  beneficent  influence  over 
those  whom  they  govern^  like  the  shelter  of  a  city 
to  those  who  dwell  beneath  its  roofs.     It  must, 

*  We  need  not  infer  that  the  earth  will  be  annihilated  by  the  fires 
here  spoken  of.  Indeed,  the  elements  of  matter  are  as  indestructible 
as  spirit.  When  you  burn  a  piece  of  wood  in  the  hearth,  its  constitu- 
ent particles  are  not  absolutely  destroyed.  They  are  dissolved— their 
relation  to  each  other  is  changed,  but  all  the  original  matter  still  ex- 
ists. In  fact  there  is  now  no  more  and  no  less  matter  in  existence  than 
when  God  formed  all  things.  In  like  manner  the  material  heavens  and 
earth  may  be'acted  on  by  the  fires  here  foretold.  They  will  be  puri- 
fied from  the  stains  and  vestiges  of  sin,  and  made  the  fit  abodes  of 
righteousness.  And  instead  of  the  redeemed  going  away  to  a  distant 
heaven,  they  may  all  live  together,  and  with  God  here,  on  the  same 
earth,  thus  renovated,  and  under  these  same  heavens,  thus  made  more 
beautiful  1  If  this  be  Peter's  idea,  it  accords  strikingly  with  John, 
who  represents  heaven  as  coming  down  to  earth  in  the  latter  day. 
The  incarnate  "Word,  with  all  his  glorified  saints,  and  all  his  primeval 
anjels,  will  Jiue  reign  in  righteousness  over  the  race  of  living  men, 
through  the  progress  of  eternal  ages. 


LECTURE    THIRTEENTH.  219 

therefore,  denote  the  risen  saints  as  kings  and 
priests,  as  they  alone  are  to  descend  from  heaven 
to  earth,  and  to  exercise  a  sway  over  men.  It  is, 
in  a  subsequent  vision,  expressly  termed  "the 
bride,  the  Lamb's  wife,"  (xxi :  9)  hy  whom  the 
risen  saints  have  been  already  symbolized.  As 
then  the  corrupt  organization  of  churches  was  pre- 
figured by  the  city  of  Babylon,  so  the  organized 
reign  of  the  glorified  saints  is  symbolized  by  the 
New  Jerusalem.  John  heard  a  voice,  saying, 
"  Behold  the  tabernacle  of  God  is  witli  men,  and 
he  shall  dwell  in  a  tent  (Tjo^twati)  with  them,  and 
they  shall  be  his  people,  and  God  himself  shall  be 
with  them,  and  be  their  God.  And  God  shall 
wipe  away  all  tears  from  their  eyes  ;  and  there 
shall  be  no  more  death,  neither  sorrow,  nor  cry- 
ing, neither  shall  there  be  any  more  pain  :  for  the 
former  things  are  passed  away."  All  this  denotes 
that  the  glorified  saints  are  to  be  visible  to  men,  as 
a  tent  is  visible  to  those  in  whose  presence  it  is  sta- 
tioned, and  that  God  is  to  be  visibly  present  with 
the  glorified  saints,  as  his  presence  was  manifested 
in  the  ancient  temple  when  it  was  filled  with  the 
smoke  and  flame  of  his  ghtry.  Men  universally  are 
to  be  sanctified — to  own  and  honor  him  as  God,  and 
enjoy  manifestations  of  his  presence  and  favor. 
Ho  is  to  wipe  away  every  tear  from  their  eyes. 
They  are  no  more  to  be  8tibjectc<l  to  death,  nor  to 
know  any  thing  of  sorrow,  mourning,  or  toil.  For 
the    former    things   have   jmsscd   away.     All    the 


220  LECTURE     THIRTEENTH. 

forms  of  penal  evil,  brouglit  on  the  race  by  the 
fall,  are  to  cease,  and  a  new  era  to  commence.  To 
confirm  the  idea  of  the  heavenly  state  thus  brought 
down  to  earth,  he  Avho  sat  on  the  throne,  said, 
''  Behold  I  make  all  things  new  1  "  and  then  ad- 
dressed his  servant  John  thus  :  "  Write  :  for  these 
words  are  true  and  faitliful."  All  that  you  have 
seen  shall  surely  be  fulfilled.  He  proceeds  to  de- 
clare this  period  as  the  grand  consummation  :  "It 
is  done.  I  am  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  beginning 
and  the  end.  I  will  give  unto  him  that  is  alhirst 
of  the  fountain  of  the  water  of  life  freely."  All 
the  purposes  of  mercy  that  a  faithful,  eternal, 
unchanging  God  had  cherished,  are  now  accom- 
plished ;  the  fountain  of  eternal  life  is  unsealed  ; 
the  victor  inherits  all  things  that  God  possesses  ; 
because  he  is  now  a  son  of  God,  and  God  is  his 
father.  All  good  centres  in,  and  flows  from  that 
relaticm.  The  unholy  of  all  classes  are  to  be  ex- 
cluded from  this  joyous  community,  and  consigned 
to  the  abyss  of  misery.  The  descent  of  the  city  is 
to  occur  at  the  beginning  of  the  millennium,  and 
Gog  and  Magog  will  not  be  destroyed  till  its  ter- 
mination ;  so  that  their  overthrow  is  not  inconsist- 
ent with  the  statement,  that  death  will  not  exist 
during  this  period. 

Reflection. 

What  glorious  prospects  await  all  the  people  of 
God  1  Lift  up  your  heads — hope,  wonder,  and 
rejoice. 


LECTURE   FOURTEENTH. 


REVELATIONS,  CHAPTER  XXI  :  9-XXII:  21. 

And  there  came  nnto  me  one  of  the  seven  angels  which  had  the  seven 
vialB  full  of  the  seven  last  places,  and  talked  with  me,  saying,  Como 
hither,  I  will  show  thee  the  bride,  the  Lamb's  wife.  And  ho  carried 
me  away  in  the  spirit  Ui  a  great  and  high  mountain,  and  shewed  mo 
that  great  city,  the  holy  Jerusalem,  descending  out  of  heaven  from 
God,  having  the  glory  of  God  :  and  her  light  va$  like  unto  a  stone 
most  precious,  even  like  a  jasper  stone,  clear  as  crystal  ;  and  had  a  wall 
great  and  high,  mnd  had  twelve  gates,  and  at  the  gates  twelve  angels, 
and  named  written  thereon,  which  are  the  namct  of  the  twelve  tribes  of 
the  children  of  Israel:  on  the  east  three  gates;  on  the  north  three 
gates;  on  the  sfmth  three  gates;  and  on  the  west  three  gates.  And 
the  wall  of  the  city  had  twelve  foundations,  and  in  them  the  names  of 
the  twelve  aposth-s  of  the  Lamb.  And  he  that  talked  with  ine  had  a 
golden  reed  to  measure  the  city,  and  the  giites  thereof,  and  the  wall 
thereof.  And  the  city  lieth  foursquare,  and  the  length  is  as  largo  M 
the  breadth  :  and  ho  mcaKured  the  city  with  the  reed,  twelve  thousand 
furlongs.  The  length  and  the  breadth  and  the  htiglit,  of  it  are  equal. 
And  ho  measured  the  wall  thereof,  a  hundred  and  forty  and  four  cu- 
biU,  according  to  the  measure  of  a  man,  that  is,  of  the  angel.  And  the 
building  of  the  wall  of  it  was  o/ jajiper  :  and  the  city  t(«.  pure  gold, 
like  unto  clear  glass.  And  the  foundations  of  the  wall  of  the  city  tr«r» 
garnished  with  all  manner  of  precious  stones.  Tin-  first  foundation 
uat  jasper  ;  the  second,  sapphire  ;  the  third,  a  chalcedony  ;  the  fourth, 
»n  emerald  ;  the  fifth,  sardonyx;  the  sixth,  sardius  ;  the  seventh, 
chrysolite;  the  eighth,  beryl  ;  the  ninth,  a  topaz;  the  tenth,  a  chrys- 
oprasus;  the  eleventh,  a  jacinth  ;  the  twelfth,  an  amethyst.  And  the 
twelve  gBt«  tcert  twelve  pearls ;  every  several  gate  was  of  one  pearl ! 


222  LECTURE    FOURTEENTH. 

and  the  street  of  the  city  wat  pure  gold,  as  it  were  transparent  glass. 
And  I  saw  no  temple  therein  :  for  the  Lord  God  Almighty  and  the 
Lamb  are  the  temple  of  it.  And  the  city  had  no  need  of  the  sun,  nei- 
ther of  the  moon,  to  shine  in  it :  for  the  glory  of  God  did  lighten  it, 
and  the  Lamb  t»  the  light  thereof.  And  the  nations  of  them  which  are 
saved  shall  walk  in  the  light  of  it :  and  the  kings  of  the  earth  do  biing 
their  glory  and  honour  into  it.  And  the  gates  of  it  shall  not  be  shut 
at  all  by  day  ;  for  there  shall  be  no  night  there.  And  they  shall  bring 
the  glory  and  honour  of  the  nations  into  it.  And  there  shall  in  no  wise 
enter  into  it  anything  that  defileth,  neither  whattoever  worketh  abom- 
ination, or  maketh  a  lie :  but  they  which  are  written  in  the  Lamb's 
book  of  life.  And  he  shewed  me  a  pure  river  of  water  of  life,  clear  as 
crystal,  proceeding  out  of  the  throne  of  God  and  of  the  Lamb.  In  the 
midst  of  the  street  of  it,  and  on  either  side  of  the  river,  wa»  there  the 
tree  of  life,  which  bare  twelve  manner  of  fruits,  and  yielded  her  fruit 
every  month:  and  the  leaves  of  the  tree  were  for  the  healing  of  the  na- 
tions, And  there  shall  be  no  more  curse  :  but  the  throne  of  God  and 
of  the  Lamb  shall  be  in  it;  and  his  servants  shall  serve  him :  and  they 
shall  see  his  face ;  and  his  name  shall  be  in  their  foreheads.  And  there 
shall  be  no  night  there ;  and  they  need  no  candle,  neither  light  of  the 
sun;  for  the  Lord  God  giveth  them  light:  and  they  shall  reign  for 
ever  and  ever. — liev.  xxi :  9-27  ;  xxii :  1-6. 

The  city  is  here  declared  to  be  the  symbol  of  the 
bride,  the  Lamb's  wife — the  raised  and  glorified 
saints  who  are  adopted  as  joint-heirs  with  Christ, 
exalted  to  thrones  and  associated  with  him  in  his 
reign  on  earth.  It  is  styled  the  New  Jerusalem. 
Its  descent  to  the  earth  symbolizes  their  descent 
from  heaven  after  their  justification  and  investiture 
as  kings  and  priests  in  his  empire.  The  splendor 
of  the  elements  of  which  it  is  built  denotes  the 
beauty  of  their  persons  and  the  perfection  of  their 
character.  Its  magnitude  denotes  the  incompre- 
hensible greatness  of  their  multitude.  That  mag- 
nitude transcends  the  vastest  extent  over  which  the 


LECTURE    FOURTEENTH.  223 

unaided  eye  can  discern  the  most  brilliant  objects 
on  the  surface  of  the  earth.  It  is  a  square  area  of 
twelve  thousand  furlongs — fifteen  hundred  miles. 
The  regularity  of  its  form,  the  harmony  of  its 
parts,  and  its  massiveness  and  strength,  imply  the 
symmetry  of  their  relations  to  each  other,  the  unity 
of  their  spirit,  and  the  energy  of  their  sway.  The 
phrase  "  and  the  height  of  it,"  ia  thought  by  some 
to  be  spurious.  The  height  of  a  city  must  refer  to 
the  walls  ;  but  they  are  afterwards  said  to  be,  not 
twelve  thousand  furlongs  high,  but  one  hundred 
and  forty-four  cubits,  or  two  hundred  and  sixteen 
feet  high.  If  this  ])hra8e  be  genuine,  the  whole 
verse  means,  not  that  the  length,  breadth  and 
height  are  the  same,  but  that  its  length  is  the  same 
at  whatever  point  it  is  measured — that  its  breadth 
is  the  same  at  all  points,  and  that  its  height  is  the 
same  at  all  points.  Those  dimensions  are  unifurni. 
The  gates  symbolize  the  access  to  the  glorilied 
saints  which  the  nations  are  to  enjoy.  That  they 
are  distributed  finally  to  ull  the  sides,  indicates 
that  they  are  to  be  accessible  alike  to  tlie  nations 
wherever  they  may  reside.  That  there  is  to  be  no 
night  there,  sliows  that  they  are  never  to  be  with- 
out the  visilile  presence  of  (iod.  That  its  gates  are 
never  shut,  denotes  that  the  nations  are  to  enjoy 
uninterrupted  access  to  the,  glorified,  and  the  sta- 
tioning of  an  angel  at  each  gate,  that  that  access  is 
subject  to  conditions,  and  regulated  by  an  exalted 
order  assigned  to  that  oiUce. 


224  LECTURE    FOURTEENTH. 

The  twelve  tribes  of  the  sons  of  Israel  were  the 
gymbols,  in  the  vision  of  the  sealing,  of  all  the 
branches  or  families  of  pure  worshipers.  The  in- 
scription of  the  names  of  those  tribes  on  the  gates 
denotes,  accordingly,  that  all  the  branches  of  the 
un glorified  race  are  to  have  access  to  the  glorified 
saints,  but  each  with  a  part  or  division  peculiarly 
appropriate  to  themselves.  As  in  a  walled  city  in- 
habited by  different  tribes,  the  inscription  on  sepa- 
rate gates  of  the  names  of  the  several  tribes  would 
imply  that  each  tribe  was  to  pass  through  the  gate 
distinguished  by  its  name,  so  it  is  here. 

In  the  temple  in  Jerusalem,  the  mercy-seat,  the 
symbol  of  the  throne  of  God  in  the  visible  displays 
of  his  presence,  was  in  the  holy  of  holies,  entirely 
withdrawn  from  the  sight  of  the  worshipers,  and 
beheld  only  by  the  high  priest  once  a  year.  That 
there  is  no  temple  in  the  New  Jerusalem,  denotes, 
therefore,  that  the  presence  of  the  Eedeemer  is  to 
be  visible  to  the  worshipers  at  large,  and  not,  as 
under  the  Mosaic  dispensation,  veiled  irom  their 
sight. 

The  sun  and  moon  are  symbols  of  the  supreme 
legislative  and  executive  rulers  in  a  state.  When, 
therefore,  it  is  said  that  the  city  has  no  need  of  the 
sun  nor  of  the  moon  to  shine  in  it,  for  the  glory  of 
God  enlightens  it  and  its  lamp  is  the  Lamb,  the 
meaning  is  that  it  is  to  have  no  need  that  the  un- 
glorified  or  glorified  saints  should  make  laws  for  it, 
as  God  is  to  be  its  Lawgiver,  and  Christ  is  to  sup- 


LECTURE    FOURTEENTH.  225 

ply  it  with  all  the  commands  and  counsels  Avhich 
its  exigencies  are  to  require.     That  the  nations  are 
to  walk  by  its  light  signifies  that  they  are  to  be 
guided  by  the  teachings   which  Christ  communi- 
cates to  the  glorified  saints.    That  the  kings  of  the 
earth  bring  their  glory  and  honor  into  it,  implies 
that  the  chiefs  of  the  nations  are  to  exercise  their 
office  in  perfect  subordination  to  the  saints  whom 
it  symbolizes,  and  employ  themselves  in  subserv- 
ing the  ends  which  they  enjoin.     That  no  one  is  to 
enter  it  that  is  unclean,  or  that  works  defilement 
or  falsehood,  indicates  that  sanctification  is  requi- 
site in  order  to  that  relation  to  the  glorified  which 
admission  to  its  gates  denotes,  and  thence,  as  all 
nations  are  to  walk  in  its  light,   that  the  race  is 
uuiversally  to  be  holy.     The  river  of  the  water  of 
life,  proceeding  from   the  throne  of  God  and  the 
Lamb,   is  the  symbol,  doubtless,  of  the  renewing 
and   sanctifying   influences  by  which   the   nations 
are  to  be  imbued  with  spiritual  life.     The  leaves  of 
the  tree  of  life,  which   are  for  the  hciiling  of  the 
nations,   symbolize  the  means  of  their  restoration 
from  mortality,  and  the  friiit  of  that  tree  denotes 
the   ])ledgc  of  tlieir   transfiguration   to   glory,  for 
there  shall  be  no  curse  any  more.     Every  individ- 
ual is  to  be   perfectly  redeemed  from   the  dominion 
of  sin  and  freed  from  its  j)enalty.     That  tbetbrone 
of  CJod  and  of  the  Lamb  sball  be  in  it,  and  tliut  bis 
servants,  i.  c.,  the  nations  that  are  healed,  not  the 
glorified   saints   whom   the   city   symbolizes,  shall 


226  LECTURE    FOURTEENTH. 

serve  him  and  shall  see  his  face,  this  indicates  that 
they  are  to  yield  a  perfect  submission  to  his  au- 
thority, and  to  enjoy  his  visible  presence.  His 
name  being  on  their  foreheads,  implies  that  they 
are  to  exhibit  the  clearest  evidence  that  they  are 
truly  his  children.  And  finally,  that  they  are  to 
have  no  need  of  the  light  of  lamp  nor  sun,  but  that 
the  Lord  God  shall  shine  on  them,  as  he  does  on 
the  glorified  saints,  and  that  they  shall  reign  for- 
ever and  ever — all  tliis  denotes  that  they  are  at 
length  to  have  no  need  of  any  teacher  but  God,  and 
are  therefore  to  be  transfigured  to  glory,  like  those 
who  have  been  raised  from  death  and  exalted  to 
the  stations  of  kings  and  priests  in  his  kingdom. 

And  he  said  unto  me,  These  sayings  are  faithful  and  true:  and  the 
Lord  God  of  the  holy  prophets  sent  his  angel  to  show  unto  bis  servants 
the  things  which  must  shortly  be  done.  Behold,  I  come  quickly : 
blessed  t»  he  that  keepeth  the  sayings  of  the  prophecy  of  this  book. 
And  I  John  saw  these  things,  and  heard  the77i.  And  when  I  had  heard 
and  seen,  I  fell  down  to  worship  before  the  feet  of  the  angel  which 
ehewed  me  these  things.  Then  saith  he  onto  me.  See  thou  do  it  not : 
for  I  am  thy  fellow  servant,  and  of  th^'  brethren  the  prophets,  and  of 
them  which  keep  the  sayings  of  this  book  ;  worship  God.  And  he  saith 
unto  me,  Seal  not  the  sayings  of  the  prophecy  of  this  book  :  for  the 
time  is  at  hand.  lie  that  is  unjust,  let  him  be  unjust  still :  and  he 
which  is  filthy,  let  him  be  filthy  still :  and  he  that  is  righteous,  let  him 
be  righteous  still :  and  he  that  is  holy,  let  him  be  holy  still.  And  be- 
hold, I  come  quickly  :  and  my  reward  is  with  me,  to  give  every  man 
according  as  his  work  shall  be.  I  am  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  begin- 
ning and  the  end,  the  first  and  the  last.  Blessed  are  they  that  do  his 
commandments,  that  they  may  have  right  to  the  tree  of  life,  and  may 
enter  in  through  the  gates  into  the  city.  For  without  are  dogs,  and 
Borcerers,  and  whoremongers,  and  murderers,  and  idolaters,  and  who- 
soever loveth  and  makcth  a  lie.  I  Jesus  have  sent  mine  angel  to  tes- 
tify unto  you  these  things  in  the  churches.     1  am  the  root  and  the 


LECTURE    FOURTEENTH.  227 

offspring  of  David,  and  the  bright  and  morning  star.  And  the  Spirit 
and  the  bride  say,  Come,  and  let  him  that  heareth  say.  Come.  And 
let  him  that  is  athirst  come.  And  whosoever  will,  let  him  take  the 
water  of  life  freely.  For  I  testify  unto  every  man  that  heareth  the 
words  of  the  prophecy  of  this  book,  if  any  man  shall  add  unto  these 
things,  God  shall  add  unto  him  the  plagues  which  are  written  in  thia 
book  :  and  if  any  man  shall  take  away  from  the  words  of  the  book  of 
this  prophecy,  God  shall  take  away  his  part  out  of  the  book  of  life,  and 
out  of  the  holy  city,  and  frotii  the  things  which  are  written  in  this 
book.  He  which  testifieth  these  things  saith.  Surely  I  come  quickly  : 
Amen.  Even  so,  come.  Lord  Jesus.  The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  be  with  you  all.     Amen. — Rev.  xxii  :  6-2L 

The  prophecy  closes  with  the  fifth  verse  of  the 
twenty-second  chapter.  The  angel  confirms  all  his 
revelations  by  a  solemn  assurance  that  they  are 
"  faithful  and  true."  This  denotes  that  they  ex- 
hibit a  true  representation  of  the  purposes  of  God 
and  of  the  actors  and  events  of  which  the  world 
was  soon  to  become  the  scene,  and  that  they  are  to 
be  perfectly  verified.  The  things  that  were  soon 
to  come  to  pass  are  the  whole  train  of  agencies 
foreshown  in  the  visions^  considered  as  one  series, 
and  were  nigh,  inasmuch  as  the  commencement  of 
the  series  was  at  hand.  The  homage  which  the 
apostle  was  about  to  pay  to  the  angel  was  probably 
not  of  adoration,  but  of  gratitude,  fur  his  conde- 
scension in  showing  him  the  great  things  which 
were  soon  to  be,  and  especially  the  grandeurs  of 
the  reign  of  the  glorified  saints  witli  Christ.  It 
indicates  a  fervid  sense  of  tlie  significance  of  the 
visions  he  had  beheld,  the  vastness  and  glory  of 
tlio  Kedcenier's  designs,  the  splondor  of  tlio  destiny 
assigned  to  his  people,  and  the  beauty  and  blessed- 


228  LECTURE    FOURTEENTH. 

ness  to  whicli  the  nations  are  to  "be  exalted  under 
his  sway.  The  angel  exhibits  in  liis  reply  the 
spirit  of  the  true  worshipers^  in  contrast  with  the 
usur])evs  of  the  rights  of  God  and  their  idolatrous 
vassals.  It  was  God  who  ajjpointed  him  to  that 
work,  not  himself,  and  in  fulfilling  it,  he  acted  in 
the  same  relations  to  him  as  a  servant,  in  which 
the  apostle  himself  acted,  the  same  in  which  the 
prophets,  and  they  who  keep  the  words  of  the  book 
■were  called  to  act,  in  fulfilling  their  office  as  his 
"witnesses. 

The  words,  "Seal  not  the  sayings  of  the  pro- 
phecy of  this  book,  for  the  time  is  at  hand  ;  he  that 
is  unjust,  let  him  he  unjust  still,"  etc.,  are  ad- 
dreswsed  to  the  prophet,  doubtless,  as  the  represen- 
tative of  God's  witnesses  in  all  ages.  The  import 
of  them  is,  thou  must  not  withhold  from  the  church 
Dor  misrepresent  the  revelations  of  this  book,  but 
proclaim  them  in  their  truth,  representing  those  as 
unjust  whom  the  prophecy  exhibits  as  unjust,  and 
thotie  as  defiled  whom  the  prophecy  represents  as 
defiled,  and  those  as  righteous  and  holy  to  whom 
it  ascrihes  that  character.  The  Redeemer  enforces 
tliis  injunction  by  announcing  his  deity  and  his 
title  to  implicit  obedience,  and  by  the  assurance 
that  he  is  to  come  quickly,  to  retribute  to  every  one 
as  his  work  shall  be. 

The  benediction  which  is  next  pronounced  on 
those  who  obey  his  commands,  is  a  benediction  of 
those  who  live  under  his  reign  after  the  establish- 


LECTURE     FOURTEENTH.  229 

ment  of  the  kingdom  of  the  glorified  saints  on 
earth.  This  is  manifest  from  the  statement  that 
they  are  to  acquire  by  their  obedience  a  title  to  the 
tree  of  life  and  an  entrance  through  the  gates  into 
the  city.  They  are  to  live  after  the  descent  of  that 
city,  therefore,  and  not  before  it,  and  are  to  be  of 
those  who  enter  and  dwell  within  it,  not  of  those 
who  constitute  the  city  itself.  They  are  to  include 
the  whole  race  then  existing,  inasmuch  as  all  oth- 
ers— the  dogs,  the  sorcerers,  the  fornicators,  the 
murderers,  the  idolaters,  and  whoever  loveth  and 
maketh  a  lie — are  to  be  excluded,  and  these  are  to 
be  banished  from  the  earth,  as  the  city  is  to  open 
its  gates  to  all  nations.  The  annunciation  that  he 
who  sent  his  angel  to  testify  these  things  to  the 
churches  is  Jesus,  the  Messiah  promised  to  the  an- 
cient prophets — that  the  Spirit  and  the  bride  say 
come,  and  that  whoever  hears  is  to  say  come,  is 
marked  by  a  beauty  and  grandeur  of  meaning 
scarcely  surpassed  in  any  other  passage  of  the  book. 
As  the  saints,  who  are  the  bride,  do  not  in  their 
intermediate  state,  i.  e.,  between  their  death  and 
resurrection,  address  men^  the  invitation  they  utter 
is  to  be  referred  to  their  reign  with  Clirist  on  earth, 
when  they  are  to  exercise  the  oflice  of  kings  and 
priests.  The  passage  indicates  an  agency,  therefore, 
which  they  are  to  exert  throughout  tlio  interminable 
ages  of  redemption.  The  Root  and  the  OfTspring  of 
David,  the  bright,  the  morning  Star,  is  the  inavr- 
nate  Word,  who  is  to  reign  and  carry  on  the  work  of 
20 


230  LECTURE    FOURTEENTH. 

salvation  forever  and  ever.  The  Spirit  is  to  con- 
tinue his  renewing  and  sanctifying  influence,  and 
say  to  the  sons  and  daughters  of  the  race,  as  they 
are  summoned  from  age  to  age  into  existence, 
Come.  The  raised  and  transfigured  saints  are  to 
repeat  the  call  through  the  flight  of  everlasting 
years  ;  the  unglorified  who  hear  it^  are  to  take  it 
up  and  reiterate  the  call  to  those  around  them, 
and  every  breast  is  to  he  filled  and  transported  with 
a  sense  of  the  infinitude  and  freeness  of  the  Sa- 
viour's grace.  The  terrific  threat  to  those  who  add 
to  the  prophecy,  or  take  from  it,  indicates  that  men 
are  to  be  under  violent  temptation  to  reject  or  per- 
vert it  in  order  to  evade  the  application  of  its  pre- 
dictions to  themselves.  And  how  needful  to  pre- 
sumption, to  party  zeal  and  to  ambition,  is  the 
restraint  it  is  suited  to  impose  !  With  what  a 
daring  spirit  have  some,  especially  the  friends  of 
the  nationalized  hierarchies,  set  aside  the  obvious 
meaning  of  its  symbols,  and  forced  on  them  con- 
structions the  most  unauthorized  and  the  most 
unnatural.  This  they  have  done  to  escape  the  de- 
monstration that  the  great  apostate  powers  which 
it  foreshadows  are  those  to  which  they  belong. 
This  threat  shows  the  estimate  which  the  divine 
Being  places  on  his  revealed  truth.  It  is  neither 
too  much  nor  too  little.  We  must  receive  just 
what  God  says,  and  labor  simply  to  understand 
and  to  obey  his  will.  For  the  third  time  the  Sav- 
iour says,  ''  Surely  I  come  quickly."     To  thiB  tea- 


LECTURE    FOURTEENTH.  231 

timony  John  adds  his  cordial  Amen.  Even  so, 
come  Lord  Jesus.  The  benediction  closes  the 
epistle  and  closes  our  exposition. 

Conclusion. 

1.  This  prophecy  exhibits  the  true  worshipers  as 
perpetually  involved,  until  the  advent  of  Christ, 
in  a  fierce  conflict  with  antagonist  powers.  It  is 
made  a  question  throughout  the  whole  period — 
Who  shall  reign  ?  Who  has  the  chief  right  of 
dominion  over  men  ?  Christ  claims  exclusive 
homage,  on  the  ground  of  his  deity  and  work  as 
Redeemer.  But  a  long  succession  of  opposing 
powers  dispute  his  rights,  and  usurp  his  throne. 
First  come  the  pagans  ;  then  the  civil  authorities  ; 
then  the  ecclesiastical.  The  true  worshipers  are 
reduced  to  a  small  number,  and  ascend  to  heaven 
out  of  great  tribulation. 

2.  This  conflict  is  conducted  in  the  presence  of 
the  redeemed  of  heaven,  and  of  angels,  and  en- 
gages their  profoundest  attention.  They  wit- 
nessed its  symbolization  in  the  visions;  understood 
its  nature  and  design,  and  saw  its  gradual  pro- 
gress. They  offer  in  the  divine  presence,  symbols 
of  the  prayers  of  the  saints  for  deliverance  ;  cast 
fire  to  tlic  earth,  in  token  of  avenging  judgments; 
and  hymn  the  praises  of  God  at  the  commence- 
ment of  the  punishment,  and  at  the  final  over- 
throw of  the  wild  beast  and  false  prophet. 

3.  The  usurpation  of  his  empire  by  hia  enemies. 


232  LECTURE    FOURTEENTH. 

through  so  vast  a  period,  is  allowed  for  reasons  of 
wisdom  and  love.  It  was  perhaps,  at  first,  unex- 
pected to  all  his  creatures,  and  wrapped  in  clouds 
and  darkness.  But  the  songs  of  the  heavenly 
hosts  show  that  they  regard  it  as  founded  on  rea- 
sons worthy  of  the  Supreme,  forming  a  dazzling 
display  of  his  perfections,  and  destined  to  suhserve 
his  glory,  and  the  well-being  of  his  kingdom 
throughout  his  everlasting  reign.  When  the  great 
tragedy  draws  to  a  close,  they  give  thanks  that  he 
has  reigned,  amid  all  the  seeming  confusion,  and 
that  all  things  will  result  in  glory  to  Him,  and  in 
salvation  to  his  church. 

4.  When  the  usurping  powers  have  reached  the 
end  of  their  career,  Christ  is  to  interpose,  and  by 
tremendous  judgments  refute  their  pretensions, 
vindicate  himself  from  their  blasphemies,  and  pre- 
pare the  way  for  their  destruction.  At  that  crisis 
the  true  worshipers  are  to  be  more  distinctly  sep- 
arated from  the  anti-christian  powers,  and  the  con- 
test between  them  is  to  rise  to  greater  violence. 
The  witnesses  are  to  be  slaughtered  in  such  num- 
bers as  to  fill  their  enemies  with  the  confidence  of 
triumph.  But  at  that  dread  epoch  the  Son  of  God 
is  publicly  to  raise  them  from  death,  take  them  to 
heaven,  and  thus  show  that  they  are  his  true  wor- 
shipers. And  at  a  later  period^  when  persecu- 
tion is  renewed,  he  is  again  to  interpose,  and  by 
the  resurrection  and  assumption  to  heaven  of  all 
his  saints,  and  by  the  destruction  of  their  foes,  is 


LECTURE      FOURTEENTH.  233 

to  present  to  all  the  survivors  of  the  race  over- 
whelming proofs,  that  they  who  had  so  long 
claimed  to  be  his  vice-gerents  were  his  enemies, 
and  thus  prepare  the  way  for  his  acknowledgment 
as  their  God  and  King. 

5.  Though  this  great  process  of  judgment  has 
already  commenced,  yet  the  train  of  great  events 
which  is  still  to  precede  the  advent  of  the  Ke- 
deemer  must  naturally  occupy  many  years.  These 
events  are  a  fuller  proclamation  of  the  gospel  to 
all  nations,  and  a  warning  of  his  approaching 
judgments  ;  the  sealing  of  the  servants  of  God  ; 
the  revolutions  that  are  to  follow  the  excitement  of 
the  winds  after  their  sealing  ;  the  persecution  and 
slaughter  of  the  witnesses  ;  their  resurrection  ;  the 
changes  that  are  to  succeed  their  resurrection  and 
assumption  to  heaven  ;  the  fall  of  the  apostate 
hierarchies  ;  the  summons  of  the  people  of  God  to 
come  out  of  them  after  the  fall  ;  another  and  last 
persecution ;  and  the  procedure  of  the  unclean 
spirits  from  the  dragon,  wild  beast  and  false  pro- 
phet, to  gatlier  the  kings  to  battle  against  God. 

6.  Political  agitations  over  the  wliole  earth  are 
also  to  follow  the  seventli  trumpet,  that  must  oc- 
cupy a  long  period  before  the  destruction  of  the 
anti-christian  powers  at  the  great  battle.  That 
destruction  will  fall  only  on  the  U8ur])ing  civil  ru- 
lers, the  ai)08tate  hierarchies  and  their  armies. 
These  are  to  be  cast  alive  into  tlic  lake  of  fire.  The 
harvest  of  the  saints  is  probably  to  follow  that  bat- 


234  LECTURE    FOURTEENTH. 

tie,  and  is  to  constitute  a  public  acknowledgment 
of  all  the  truly  sanctified  who  survive  on  earth,  as 
the  children  of  God.  The  vintage  is  to  take  place 
at  a  still  later  period,  and  is  to  constitute  the  judg- 
ment and  condemnation  of  those  who  have  ap- 
proved and  sustained  the  anti-christian  powers  in 
their  war  on  God — not  of  the  race  at  large.  When 
all  these  foes  have  thus  been  destroyed,  Satan  and 
his  legions  are  to  be  cast  into  their  prison,  and  re- 
strained, during  the  millennial  period,  from  tempt- 
ing the  nations. 

7.  At  length  the  incarnate  Word  is  to  descend 
and  establish  his  throne  on  the  earth,  as  King  of 
kings  and  Lord  of  lords.  The  glorified  saints 
are  to  enjoy  stations  in  his  kingdom  as  princes  and 
priests,  suited  to  the  grandeur  of  their  faculties, 
the  vastness  of  their  knowledge,  and  the  beauty  of 
their  rectitude.  All  the  nations  are  to  be  sancti- 
fied and  freed  from  exhausting  toil,  sufiering,  sor- 
row and  death.  The  earth  is  to  be  converted  into 
a  paradise  of  righteousness,  blessedness  and  life, 
and  thus  shown  to  be  the  fit  abode  of  a  holy  and 
happy  race.  The  saints  living  at  his  advent  are, 
probably  after  his  kingdom  has  thus  been  estab- 
lished, to  be  transfigured  and  united  with  those 
raised  from  death,  and  in  that  mode  are  the  gen- 
erations of  the  race  thereafter  to  be  glorified. 
Both  classes  are  to  behold  the  Kedeemer,  bend  at 
his  throne,  and  enjoy  his  smile. 

8.  When  he  has  thus  reigned  throughout  the 


LECTURE     FOURTEENTH.  235 

millennium,  Satan  and  liis  hosts  are  again  to  be 
released,  and  allowed  to  seduce  men  into  apostacy. 
They  will  thereby  show  that  their  thirst  for  evil 
remains  unquenched,  and  that  men,  though  in 
conditions  most  propitious  to  obedience,  when  left 
by  the  Spirit  and  assailed  by  temptation,  instantly 
revolt,  and  thence  renew  the  demonstration,  that 
their  salvation  is  wholly  of  God. 

9.  Satan  and  his  hosts  having  thus  manifested 
their  steadfast  hate,  and  the  danger  of  their  being 
allowed  access  to  other  orders  of  beings,  are  then 
to  be  consigned  to  the  abyss  of  darkness,  through- 
out their  immortal  existence,  and  infinite  proofs 
having  been  given  during  the  millennium  of  the 
righteousness  of  his  reign  whom  they  refused  to 
obey,  the  unholy  dead  are  then  also  to  be  raised 
from  the  grave,  publicly  judged,  and  consigned  to 
eternal  punishment. 

10.  Men  are  thereafter  to  continue  obedient 
through  everlasting  years,  and  swell  to  numbers 
as  vast  as  would  have  descended  from  the  first  pair 
throughout  eternal  ages,  had  they  never  revolted. 
How  infinite  are  the  designs  of  the  Redeemer  I 
How  worthy  of  him  the  results  that  are  to  spring 
from  his  interposition  1  How  sublime  the  destiny 
of  his  i)eople  I     Come,  Lord  Jesus  1 


II 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 

This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


AUG  16 


L,9-2m-6,'49(B4568)444 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORKi^ 

AT 

LOS  ANGELES 


¥  vao  A  DV 


I  III ili{ Mini  hi  II 


J 


AA    000  618  826    2 


t 


1° 


■  a 
'  a 
'    s 

M 

I    a 

X 


PLEA«==:   DO    NOT    REMOVE 
THIS    BOOK  CARD    j 


v\nUIBKAR>6// 


^<f/0JllV3JO'^ 


University  Research  Library 


I 
rvj 


"XT 
0 

r 


m 


:  I 


\)t 


fi 


